Horizon Report and Video Conference

On Thursday our usual ICT specialism lecture was replaced by a video conference. This was a first for me and I was really interested and intrigued as to how it would work. We had originally planned to carry out the video conference on Blackboard however there were some technical issues so luckily we had a backup plan of Skype in place.

During the video conference we discussed our findings and thoughts on the Horizon Report. Each member of the group had been given 3 sections of the report to look at and feedback to the rest of the group in a presentation. You can view my presentation here. The 3 sections I was focusing on were:

1. Rise of STEAM Learning (p.18)
2. Significant Challenges Impeding Technology Adoption in K-12 Education (p.20)
3. Creating Authentic Learning Opportunities (p.22)

Before the session I had heard of the Horizon report however had not actually read any of it. I found the reading really enjoyable and interesting and I found myself agreeing with a lot of the points and ideas being made within the report.

 

Rise of STEAM Learning

• We already know about STEM learning (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths), STEAM adds in the Arts and tries to integrate the arts into all of these other learning areas. .
• All areas of STEAM learning should and can relate to one another which will provide students with an understanding of the bigger picture of how a wide variety of knowledge and skill sets can come together in the real world. They are not separated and don’t only exist alone.
• An example of STEAM teaching to younger children would include teaching students how mathematical concepts such as geometry are embedded in artworks and mosaics.
• “A study conducted by the University of Florida revealed that students who are engaged in music class do better in math.” This shows that by integrating the arts into other areas of learning, it can increase and improve learning outcomes.
• It has also been proven that by having a greater involvement and experience with the arts it can improve individuals innovative thinking, adaptability, and other problem-solving skills.

 

Significant Challenges Impeding Technology Adoption in K-12 Education

• There are some challenges involved in adopting new technology and these are categorized into solvable, difficult and challenging.
• A solvable challenge is one that we both understand and know how to solve.
• Difficult challenges are ones that are more or less well-understood but for which solutions remain elusive.
• Wicked challenges are the most difficult, are categorized as complex to even define, and thus require additional data and insights before solutions will be possible.
• all the challenges have policy implications. For example, creating policies which integrate technology into teacher training. This is being launched in Bangkok where national standards are being created for teacher training programs.
• Similarly, all the challenges have leadership implications. When creating authentic learning opportunities for students some schools are trying to create a partnership between themselves and enterprises which are offering real-life experiences and apprenticeships.
• There are also implications involved in practice. Fore xmaple, when beginning to teach more complex thinking it requires the use of multiple skill sets such as problem solving and creativity. Because this sues multiple skill sets it has been defined as a wicked problem as there is not yet a common understanding around language and protocol for defining and assessing complex thinking.

Creating authentic learning opportunities:

• Authentic Learning is an umbrella term for pedagogical strategies that have great potential to immerse learners in environments where they can gain lifelong learning skills.
• An authentic learning opportunity will bring students in touch with real-world problems and situations.
• Authentic learning prepares students for the skills and knowledge needed for later on in life at university and in jobs.
• Hands on learning in schools is becoming more popular with more and more schools offering vocational courses.
• Authentic learning strategies bring students a greater understanding of their abilities and purpose in life beyond the classroom.
• Portfolios have been proven to empower students to take ownership of their studies and to develop key lifelong learning skills such as critical-thinking, reflection, and problem-solving.

I really enjoyed reading the ‘creating authentic learning opportunities’ part of the Horizon Report. I feel that by giving children more experiences that will help them in later life outside of school and by helping the children understand that what we learn in schools doesn’t only exist in schools it can really help to deepen and strengthen their learning. This is something that I would like to put in place in schools when teaching. I also feel that overall it will make the children’s learning experience more fun! Getting involved in hands-on practical activities is much more beneficial and enjoyable than just completing a work sheet and I hope to remember this and put it into practice!

Overall, I feel that the video conference was a really good experience for me. Before participating in it I was a bit dubious about how it would work, and nervous about what I was going to say with everybody else listening and watching. However, once we got into it, it felt completely normal and no different to a normal session in the classroom. I hope that at some point in my future teaching I have the opportunity to bring a video conference into the classroom. I feel that it would be a really beneficial experience for pupils to engage in. If I had the opportunity to I would really love to get in contact with a children’s author and have a video conference with them in class. I feel that this would be somebody that the children would really look up to and admire, and that they would want to ask questions.