Social Networks in Schools

I was reminded this week of the importance of celebrating the talents and efforts made by young people in schools in order to improve their self-esteem and their view of themselves as learners.  During an ICT lesson, I had spoken with a student about his interest in art – he sees himself as an artist and told me that he spends most of his time drawing and painting.  The following lesson, he brought in some examples of his work.  I was so impressed with his dedication and art that I asked his permission to take a picture with my mobile phone of one of his drawings so I could post it with some comments to a number of social networking sites (http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidwarephoto/5181205067/).  He was thrilled and delighted!  The feeling of pride he gained from this simple act appears to have renewed his interest in learning and re-ignited his belief in himself and that he has something to offer.  (Who knows what this could lead to?  Read the story of Matt Groening told by Sir Ken Robinson in his book The Element, Penguin 2009)

We all know, don’t we, that success is all-important in building learner motivation and their capacity to learn?  In my experience with young people with learning difficulties, however, failure and the fear of failure is not only debilitating, it results in anxieties about learning and can lead to additional problems associated with behaviour and attitude.  The result is a cycle of failure which is hard to break!

The student above may not be the best artist in the world (at the moment), but it is his way of making a contribution and communicating – it is the thing that drives him, it is his passion! 

There are at least two things that I take from this: 

1. the interests of learners are crucial to learning.  Finding out what drives learners and building it into teaching plans is perhaps the most important key to unlocking the potential inside every leaner to be the best they can be.  Ignoring what interests them does them a significant disservice which will affect them for the rest of their lives. 
2. as teachers, we have a responsibility to use whatever means at our disposal to motivate and encourage young learners no matter what their interests and talents are (all learners?).  In this way, we can build on their passion for learning and communicating and prepare them for the future complexities of life, a life which is likely to become increasingly dominated by technology.

Let’s be honest, social networking facilities are already being used extensively by young people to serve their need to communicate but they’re not always used in the most positive way.  We need, therefore, to teach young learners appropriate ways to use the technology and to use it responsibly.  We also need to work with them on effective and safe strategies to ensure that they are protected when using them.  Banning the use of such technologies in schools is not only short-sighted and removes significant tools for enhancing learning, it is also inappropriate and, many would claim, dangerous.

Long live learners!  Long live the technology!

The Curriculum for ICT in Schools

There is significant evidence to suggest that learning is a search for meaning.  If this is so, then the ICT curriculum in schools needs to be built around those things that students are interested in.  Whilst there is clearly a case for helping students – or any learner for that matter - appreciate aspects outside of their experience, my anecdotal experience suggests that this is more likely to come about through activities, tasks and approaches which begin with those things that are of immediate interest to them.  There are a number of arguments, I think, that support this view of ICT in schools, i.e. the need to:

• help pupils become responsible users of the technology, including appropriate use and keeping themselves safe
• find ways to encourage pupils in, and excite them about, their learning
• provide increased scope for creativity and imagination
• implement what we now know about the learning process through recent developments like active learning, accelerated learning and the like. 

 So what influences learners in schools?  My experience with young people with learning difficulties and special educational needs (SEN) may be somewhat limited but suggests that young people – perhaps all of us - are strongly influenced by the media in all its forms, newspapers, magazines, radio, TV, images, music, video, games and so on.  This influence can be manipulative and result in all kinds of difficulties that individuals have to contend with.  Add to this, the needs of learners to communicate, share and make a contribution, their longing for success and to feel valued, their desire to learn and achieve, their search for happiness (whatever that might mean) and a life free from fear, anxiety and worry and the task for teachers is much more complex than the traditional focus on delivering someone elses’ view of the ICT curriculum suggests.  I admit that these additional aspects are not always apparent in the daily life of schools, but they are there nonetheless if we just take the time to look. 

Building a curriculum around the interests of young people means talking to them and finding out about them, their interests and aspirations and adapting tasks and activities, material and resources to suit their needs.  For teachers, learning should not start with the technology but with developing a relationship which is supportive of individual learning and development.  In this way we can match the technology to the learner and avoid the pitfalls of “one size fits all” and creating barriers which limit the ability of learners to follow their interests and achieve the meaning they are searching for in their lives.  If we do it this way, we can provide for young people the kinds of learning experiences which for many will have a positive impact on the rest of their lives. 

In future blogs, I intend to develop this theme and look at ways in which we might secure the interest and commitment of learners and motivate and excite them about their own learning!  To those who are interested, I invite you to let me have your thoughts, ideas and comments to help me with my own learning in this increasingly important area of school life.

Long live learners!  Long live the technology!

RSA Animate - Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us

Now this is interesting - Daniel Pink on what motivates us! Thought provoking!  Just what does this mean for the way we organise schools for kids and teachers!

Sir Ken Robinson - Changing Paradigms