“I never think of the future – it comes soon enough.” ― Albert Einstein
1.1 Introduction
I would like to think that my colleagues would describe as a passionate teacher, excited about my subject and my craft. I would like to think that my students wholeheartedly believe that their achievements are the result of their own hard work and that they are both challenged and inspired in our classroom. I would like to think that my effective use of technology gives me more time to focus on being a letter educator. It is this passion for using education technology that led me to question my own productivity, as a leader learner, as a teacher and facilitator and an education maven. What I search for is the ability to move freely between devices (operating systems) and locations with but a moment’s pause.
2.1 Triad or Quad?
‘To freely move between devices….’ between desktops, laptops, touchscreens, mobile phones and games console. The question of triad or quad simple explores whether or not you considers a game console a viable education tool for teaching. It is most certainly a learning platform.
3.1 Dot to dot
All the dots are there for everyone to see.
You will know from experience that connecting the dots takes effort and determination (and often a wrong turn), but at some point before you complete the puzzle, you see the answer. I have been reading and listening to the media response to Window 8, Surface, Window Phone 7.8/8 and Xbox and staring (thinking) at these technology dots. Thinking strategy, thinking how could this improve my impact as a practitioner.
I am confident Microsoft planned and placed these dots thoughtfully, purposefully and deliberately in front of us, so that as we started connecting them together, we will see that the answer was indeed an integrated, connected Microsoft platform. An environment where one could ‘move freely between devices (operating systems) and locations with but a moment’s pause.’
What if we brought those dots closer together? What if we made those connections easier to make and brought forward that ‘eureka’ moment. How would that impact upon our willingness to change the way we interacted with and taught with technology? What if we were able to encourage education / teachers to move from being, all too often the early (or even late) majority, towards being the early adopters? Why not the innovators even? With that in mind, it is also worth noting that for the early majority to move, someone else has to have tried first. (Law of Diffusion of Innovation)
3.2 Proposal
Find the ‘someone’s.’ Find the someone’s from with the Partners in Learning Network. To select a group of passionate PiL educators, some technology advocates, some technology confident, but all passionate teachers to partner. To loan, make available, deploy (not gift) either a Microsoft triad or quad of Windows 8 devices and ask that in return, each group member to build and share a ‘Why, How and What’ report. A report generated from an agreed series of professional diary reflections.
- Why should teacher consider the benefits and opportunities afforded to them through being hyper connected?
- How did being hyper connected impact on their own learning and the learning that occurred in their classrooms?
- What they did that made the difference?
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4.0 Conclusion
The future will come soon enough and when it does, I would like to be ready to make the most of it. With an Windows 8 operating system most likely to released mid academic year, I would also like to work with Microsoft to help more educationalist be ready for it too.
I am not quite sure why I got stuck on this issue, however, I am glad I did.
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