NextEraEd

A Big Change for Tom

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What a glorious new beginning!

Back in 2014 I wrote a similar post at a time of transition. Today opens a new chapter in the unfolding story of how a high school English teacher from California morphs into a Web-based educator and contributor to the next era of education.  To re-cap, earlier parts of the journey included a fellowship at San Diego State University where we developed the WebQuest model, then a move to Australia and time as a Web developer and Ed Tech consultant with plenty of writing, software design and keynoting…  until I “got my first real job” since teaching when I joined Hobsons in 2014.  Although I explored positions in school leadership and returning to consulting, it was clear that the exact job didn’t matter so long as I was:

  • using all my skills
  • working on a great team
  • making a difference in education

Things clicked when I met the leadership team at Hobsons Edumate:

From Edumate …

For the past 2 + years I’ve really loved working with the great team at Hobsons’ Edumate.  As much as I’ve enjoyed this shift from the sometimes lonely life of an independent consultant, that fact that the Edumate suite also includes modules for attendance, enrolment, finance, and calendaring means that my passion for improving teaching and learning must be balanced with the overall needs of Edumate’s clients. I got and fully supported this. Those times I was able to harness the development team to work on the curriculum aspects of the software, I felt as though I was contributing – yet while other development needs rightly took precedence, I sometimes felt I wasn’t having the impact I hoped for. Recently the name “Literatu” began popping up with both current and prospective schools, so we decided to meet up…

To Literatu!

What I saw so impressed me that my curiosity was piqued and before long we’d kicked around ideas and found that my obsession with richer teaching and learning matched nicely with the powerful analytical insights provided within a very slick and user-friendly platform.  However, more than the software, I was very impressed with the Literatu leadership – Mark Stanley and Lidija Loridon. They definitely understand assessment, analytics, user interface and what schools need to turn data into insights.  Because this is only the first day on the job, of course there is a lot I don’t know (yet look forward to learning — which is a big part of the excitement!).  In the coming months (and years) I will share more about the power of this technology to humanise teaching and learning as I dig into it and we evolve it.  In particular I am (delightfully) tasked with helping schools and their teachers get early wins analysing their data and then build a plan where they nurture a culture of continuous improvement informed by their own unique goals and processes coupled with powerful data analytics. Look for more posts, Webinars and professional learning and consulting to support this journey into the future.  

New Article: “Before We Pull the Big Lever”

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big_leverIn an earlier article, “Starting an Education Revolution,” I suggested the that tests were a good tool for breaking educational paradigms.  Education Technology Solutions magazine has just published a follow-up article, “Before We Pull the Big Lever,” in which I describe a 3-step process for making sure we get the kind of revolution we want!

Here’s how it starts:
READY, AIM, HANG ON THERE ONE MINUTE…

Instead of racing to what these tests could look like and how to get started today, this article will be used as an often-missing moment of pause, to engage readers in educational analysis to get at an understanding that must change if innovation (not the churn of new bandwagons and buzzwords) is to replace the status quo with an improved and irrevocable reality. In short, educators must confront the last great innovation – the mass production model of schooling and its codified curriculum – and dismantle the old technologies that underpin it: rigid management of time, entrenched and unquestioned routines and the disjointed and artificial dissection and delivery of learning. Read more…

Integrating 5 Great Pedagogies

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I recently did a Webinar on this topic.  Which is a bit absurd, really, because each deserves not only its own Webinar, but a full course to do justice to the ideas, models and research. But the point of the Webinar was to stimulate thinking in a couple areas:

  1. to see that a shift toward Intrinsic Motivation IS possible and robustly supported by rich pedagogies, and
  2. these pedagogies, when used in harmony, actually create synergies that maximise their benefits.

So the purpose of this post is to provide links to resources that people can pursue to learn more about each of the pedagogies.  As the graphic below suggests, there are LOTS more than 5 great pedagogies and many more than are shown here.  My goal was to choose a reasonable number and play with how they can be integrated.  You can access a recording of the Webinar if you are interested.

pedagogies

Self Determination Theory – Intrinsic Motivation

Positive Psychology – Personal Meaning, Flow & Grit

Web sites & Resources

Books

Understanding by Design™ – Deep Learning

Using backward design, does your school have a continuum of rich performance tasks that validate the vision and prompt interdisciplinary demonstrations of students’ understandings that require their transfer to new contexts?

Web sites & Resources

Books

Cultures of Thinking – Thinking Routines

Web sites & Resources

Books

SOLE – Self-Organised Learning Environments

Websites & Resources

Videos

DigiCon16

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It’s that time of year again so off to Swinburne Uni in Hawthorn for DLTV’s DigiCon.  I’ll be doing just one short session on Next Era Ed and particularly, stepping attendees through an inventory of what they are already doing well and what they might look more closely at. I’ll use a new worksheet:

School Library Conference WA

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SLCWA-In_your_Dreams

Links for the sessions:

 

I’m excited to be participating in the The School Library Conference (SLC) on 3-4 June at Wesley College in South Perth.  The conference is presented by the Association of Independent Schools of Western Australia (AISWA) Libraries and the Western Australian School Library Association (WASLA).

Because of my long association and friendships with teacher librarians in Western Australia – and their great conference theme — I’m using this as an opportunity to reflect on my dreams as a young educator and the decades-long journey into the current reality.  As I described the keynote for the programme:

What Happens to a Dream Achieved?

In a time of change and turmoil, poet Langston Hughes asked his provocative question, “What happens to a dream deferred?” As we continue to tick along into the 21st Century surrounded by more gadgets, richer media and smarter algorithms, we might want to ask, “What happens to a dream achieved?” Unravelling both questions allows Tom March to explore the recent past and current situation with the goal of daring to dream a desirable future. Inspired by the conference theme and his many years in education meeting with teacher librarians in Perth, Tom uses this keynote as an opportunity to venture into the world of “In Your Dreams.” Weaving together an illustrated story of personal anecdotes and professional aspirations, Tom hopes to both inspire and challenge his fellow curriculum leaders currently working in WA school libraries. The presentation uses the personal to appeal to the universal. It blends a young educator’s goals and the professional journey that has followed through reflective story telling. Tom ventures into the worlds of great literature and literature review; former students and future world leaders; old models and new paradigms – all with the intent of engaging the audience in a significant shared experience that leaves us all with a dream in all our hearts and a direction in our steps.

I will also lead concurrent session offered twice in the day:

Unpacking your next era of education
All schools have made progress with student access to rich media, one-to-one devices and smart software. Many have jumped in with both feet and a handful of initiatives. Does the right hand know where the left foot is going? In other words, when left to their own devices, are students flourishing like never before or is technology more disruptor than accelerator of learning? Perhaps something was missed when the digital initiatives were designed? This session unpacks Tom’s Next Era Ed model and empowers teacher librarians to contribute to their school’s wisely-guided systemic change.

During the sessions I will share some of the latest features in Hobsons’ constantly-developing curriculum Design and Delivery platform.

This will be a great couple of days so if you are in the Perth area, I encourage you to come along.

Viva La Revolution – Using Tests to Break Education Paradigms

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Tom's ETS article, April/May 2016I’ve enjoyed writing for Education Technology Solutions and they have decided to make my latest article their cover story for the April / May 2016 issue.  How great – thanks!

As the “Director of Innovation” at Hobsons Edumate, combined with the Australian Prime Minister’s recent focus on Innovation, I thought it worth reflecting on why we haven’t seen any real innovation in the our K-12 classrooms.  If this piques your curiosity (or throws its intended gauntlet), please have a read and add your comments below.

My Memory Lane for Techies

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memory_lane2

Why this post?

ICTENSWlogo200x100In my new role as Director of Innovation K12 at Hobsons APAC, I don’t get to keynote as much as I used to.  This is kind of a nice thing because it means that every time I do it’s a chance to reflect.  On Sunday, I’m pleased to present at the ICTE NSW conference held at ACU in North Sydney.  This prompted me to recall that the first time I presented in Australia was as the NSW Computers in Education Group in Bathurst.  This was only months after emigrating and it was lots of fun to share what we’d been doing at San Diego State with WebQuests, Blue Web’n and Filamentality as well as meet some people who have become longtime friends and colleagues in the profession.

There is a method to this madness of hyperlinking a slew of the droppings I’ve left along the Web these past couple decades.  You’ll have to attend the talk or chat with me later to find out what it is!

So here’s a trip down memory lane from Tom’s start in Australia to where we are now.

A Chronology

The 1990s – early excitement and sharing

2000s – Making Models to leverage learning

2010s – the Dark Side or our Bright Future?

 

 

Image attributes: Memory Lane from Flickr user Paul Yoakum and HTML from Wikimedia Commons User Eric Dimas

Edumate Confab – October 19

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Welcome!

edumate-logoIt’s a pleasure to be part of the inaugural Edumate Confab to be held 19 October at Pymble Ladies’ College.  Our Hobsons Edumate team have been working hard to make this day as useful as possible for our schools.  My sliver of the day (everyday, in fact!) is focused on how to help schools achieve what matters most (for them).  For me this translates as “student success” as defined by each individual school community.

My sessions at the Confab all focus on teaching and learning, from the biggest issues confronting today’s schools to best practice approaches to designing, delivering and achieving the school’s goals for student success.

I hope you can join us!

General Assembly Keynote

Curriculum Module –  Best Practice Session

Help Articles:

  • Curriculum Planning Quick Reference Guide
  • Curriculum Planning Detailed Overview

Teaching & Learning Roundtable – Bring your questions and challenges

Curriculum Module – Masterclass

Learning Alignment System Best Practice

  • Help Article: How to Create Units in LAS

New Article – Next Era Ed Overview

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ets-next-era-edEducation Technology Solutions has published online the full version of an article of mine they are publishing over two issues.  Schools: Invent The Next Era Of Education is the best source for the complete view of my “Next Era Ed” model with directional questions for each:

  1. Vision – is it articulated and shared?
  2. Evidence – exactly what does achievement of the vision look like?
  3. Learning theories – are research-based pedagogical models that promote such student achievements used?
  4. Curriculum 2.0 – are units designed to leverage the pedagogical models and personalise ICTs?
  5. Review – has a systemic review process that ‘closes the loop’ for continuous improvement been embedded?
  6. Smart digital environments – are technologies being used to increase efficiencies and enliven Curriculum 2.0 as well as tap into data analytics to support systemic review?

Please read the article to see how a school you might know might be shifting from “mass produced teaching to personally meaningful learning.”  Here’s the model graphic to help your reflection.  All feedback is always welcome!

 

DLTV DigiCon15

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DigiCon2015

I’m really looking forward to joining in at the DLTV DigiCon for 2015 on 24 – 25 July at Swinburne University campus in Hawthorn.  I’m doing two sessions on Saturday.

Session F (11:45) – Leading Schools in a Digital Era (AKA R U Ready for Next Era Ed?)

Spark Talk – “Let’s Make New Mistakes”

  • These 12 minute sessions are meant to stimulate thinking and discussion.  I hope to inspire action.

NextEraEd_600

Vision

Does your school have a vision of student success that is aspirational and includes articulated descriptors?

Evidence

Using backward design, does your school have a continuum of rich performance tasks that validate the vision and prompt interdisciplinary demonstrations of students’ understandings that require their transfer to new contexts?

Learning Theories

Given the student performances your vision describes, what learning theories – and their research findings – are most likely to generate the desired evidence of your achievement as a school?

Here are few favourites:

Curriculum 2.0

Are your teaching and learning practices founded on the Learning Theories and lead to student demonstrated evidence of the vision? Also, in an age of rich digital resources and personalised devices, are ICTs used to engage students in personally meaningful accomplishments?

Review

Do you have systemic reviews embedded that “close the loop” for continuous improvement?

(Smart Digital Environments)

What technology platforms or software does your school use to support teaching, learning, curriculum development, student learning profiles, etc.?

  • I started working for Edumate in 2015 because I saw it as the best smart digital environment available in the Asia Pacific. I’m happy to discuss how it supports all aspects of Next Era Ed or use this contact form if you’d like someone to get in touch and visit your school.
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