The document discusses the digital education revolution in Australia and how it aims to meaningfully integrate technology into teaching and learning. It highlights how technologies like blogs, wikis, and virtual worlds can support collaborative and reflective learning. It also introduces edublogs as a free platform for teachers to create networked portfolios and communicate with other educators.

1. Networked learning & Network literacy Welcome to the digital education revolution Robert Fitzgerald Faculty of Education University of Canberra 24 July 2008

2. Overview Context: Computers in Education/ICT/Technology DER - Digital Education Revolution Web2.0 revolution User-generated content The Network Networked Portfolios What is a Blog? Why Blog? Blogs as portfolio Edublogs

3. Context Teachers are now expected to embrace the technological change which is transforming communications and social relations in global economies. In spite of 20 years experience using technology in schools, Australian educators are still struggling to effectively integrate technology into teaching and learning. International research suggests that creative and integrated approaches to ICT integration are still in the minority and that technology-based innovations are having limited impact on school curricula. We need to move beyond viewing technology as an “additive” to teaching and learning, to an approach that supports the evolution of new pedagogy and practice through the integration of ICT.

4. Digital Education Revolution The Digital Education Revolution is a major part of the Australian Government Education Revolution. The aim of the program is to contribute sustainable and meaningful change to teaching and learning in Australian schools that will prepare students for further education, training, jobs of the future and to live and work in a digital world.

5. Digital Education Revolution The Australian Government is committing new funding of $1.2 billion over five years to provide: through the National Secondary School Computer Fund, grants of up to $1 million for schools to assist them to provide for new or upgraded information and communications technology (ICT) for secondary students in Years 9 – 12; and through the Fibre Connections to Schools initiative, a contribution of up to $100 million to support the development of fibre-to-the-premises (FTTP) broadband connections to Australian schools.

6. Other Priorities The development of online curriculum tools and resources that will support the national curriculum and conferencing facilities for specialist subjects such as history and languages ($32.5 million over 2 years). Working with States and Territories and the Deans of Education to ensure that new and continuing teachers have access to training in the use of ICT that enables them to enrich student learning (In 2009 about 112 million of AGQTP money to go towards ICT in teaching).

7. Other Priorities The development of online learning and access which will enable parents to participate in their child’s education (I.e. parent portals). The establishment of support mechanisms to provide vital assistance for schools in the deployment of ICT. Digital Education Revolution www.digitaleducationrevolution.gov.au

9. FINDING WEALTH IN NETWORKS Sharing & exchange are a modality of production Social production & peer production are new sources of competition Market-based and social production models can co-exist Social production can help harness human creativity and mechanical capacity Social exchange is not an absence of obligation but rather the absence of calculation

12. Value Networks Map Bruns, A. (2007) Produsage, Generation C, and Their Effects on the Democratic Process. In Proceedings Media in Transition 5, MIT, Boston. Sharp, D. (2006). Digital lifestyles monitor. Available from http://smartinternet.com.au The rise of the produser

13. What about … Blogs Wikis Facebook Remix, reuse & mashups Music sharing Massively multiplayer online games (WOW) Virtual worlds & Immersive environments (Second Life)

14. Virtual Worlds Virtual worlds offer significant opportunities for social and communicative learning (Bartle, 2003; Gee, 2003; Steinkuehler, 2004) and support the formation of communities of interest (Lave, 1988; Lave & Wenger, 1991; Wenger, 1998). MMOGs 16 million active subscribers worldwide with these environments set to become the dominant form of entertainment for young people (Woodcock, 2008). World of Warcraft 10 million subscribers worldwide. A powerful social and cultural force, by providing informal social gatherings or a ‘third place’ (Ducheneaut, Moore & Nickell, 2004; Steinkuehler, 2004, Oldenburg, 1989).

15. Networked Portfolios Portfolio - a collection of work and resources usually compiled over a period of time Networked - a way of sharing the portfolio and encouraging learning and reflection

16. Blogs Web site that contains an online personal journal with reflections and comments Web Log - Blog A way of doing networked portfolios

19. Why blog? Slow Writing & Serial Publication Public and Private Writing Peer to Peer learning Easy and Low Tech but with Media Rich Content Supports Reflective Practice Supports the Development of Communities of Practice Develops Network Literacies and Graduate Attributes Allows for the Development of a Portfolio Source: Adrian Miles - http://wiki.mashedlc.edu.au

20. One model is Edublogs... http://edublogs.org / currently hosts over 100 000 blogs Sign up for a free education blog in seconds Use it to transform your teaching or talk to other teachers Powered by WordPress Safe, secure, supported and free of any advertising Embed video, create podcasts and customise your space

22. Its about learning! Improving learning with ICT requires the careful design and facilitation of activities that connect with young people’s interests. Constructivism has significantly advanced our understanding of how learning occurs and we now need to apply this knowledge to the integration of ICT in Australian education. ICT must be used by educators in a way that supports higher-order thinking rather than promoting solitary, dislocated and fragmented learning. This can only occur when ICT is part of innovative and creative pedagogy and practice.