District Administration - April 2008 - (Page 14)

BRIEFINGS Technology By Zach Miners Q&A with AALF President Bruce Dixon THE NONPROFIT GROUP ANYTIME Anywhere Learning Foundation (AALF), established three years ago as an advocacy vehicle for learning through 1-to-1 laptop initiatives, has partnered with schools worldwide and held leadership-building conferences to make their vision a reality. President Bruce Dixon spoke to DA about the group’s work—which encourages membership based on shared expertise— and the challenges to overcome. DA: Why “anytime anywhere”? What are the benefits of that educational philosophy? Dixon: There are a range of imperatives driving what is essentially a change in the way we view education, learning and, indeed, the institution of school itself. And they are coming to us now from the availability of information—being something that we don’t go to school to receive and something that is available to us literally anytime, anywhere. And it’s also acknowledging the increased awareness of the amount of informal learning that builds on successful participation in society, not just what we see traditionally as formal learning inside school walls. DA: What is informal learning? Dixon: Informal learning is everywhere. It’s when I’m sitting down somewhere and someone asks me a question like “Why do I do that?” or “How do I do that?” Informal learning is something that can be as valuable and as rigorous as the sort of formal learning that might happen inside a classroom, but it doesn’t happen in a necessarily structured way. It might be something I learned from my peers or a teacher in a more casual environment. It could come from online resources. It’s a form of learning that we’ll always have. It’s the expansion of the availability of technology that has brought the reality of the benefits of informal learning to us. And that’s the basis on which we’re building. 14 April 2008 all. We believe there are a diverse range of technologies that are coming together. It’s about collaborating and sharing ideas. The computer is the medium of their time. It improves access, it overcomes equity issues, and it helps lesser-privileged kids get access to information and share ideas with people they wouldn’t otherwise have access to. DA: What about administrators who may be reluctant to explore laptop initiatives, or question the need for 1-to-1 programs? Dixon: We wouldn’t want anyone to see this as an imposition, as something they had to have. Every time that we’ve done this it’s been an initiative that the families and students have wanted to take up. All we’re advocating and building is the power for that opportunity. This isn’t an option, really. The days of us debating whether or not every child will have his or her own portable computer have passed. The challenge we have is more for effective use of that computer. It’s not just something that you give to somebody and hope that good things will happen. It requires building awareness about the curriculum opportunities and the different learning paths that can be explored. DA: Are some countries stepping more up to the plate than others? Is the United States ahead of the pack? Dixon: There is momentum worldwide, across Europe—in particular countries like France and Portugal—through to countries in South America where both the Intel Classmate PC and the One Laptop per Child initiative penetrate enormous numbers of young people. The work from both those organizations is certainly driving opportunities for them. And in other countries like the U.K. and New Zealand and Australia there are big initiatives. But there is essentially Bruce Dixon keynoting the 2007 Asia Policy Forum on ICT in Education. “The days of debating whether every child will have his own portable computer have passed.” DA: Are you advocating for informal learning in schools, or for better informal learning outside of school? Dixon: Certainly outside is where we would see that. But our focus is to support what schools are doing, what teachers are doing, and expanding opportunities for students. The availability of technology at school gives students a far more diverse range of learning paths and learning styles than would be otherwise possible. DA: What technology tools are we looking at? Multimedia, the Web, search engines? Dixon: Yes. We see the core media tool as every child having their own personal portable computer, which would be a laptop. But we don’t see that as the be all and end District Administration

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - April 2008

District Administration - April 2008
Contents
Editor’s Letter
Letters
News Update
Technology
Facilities & Construction
Curriculum
Inside the Law
District Profile
Administrator Profile
Profit and Loss in School-Business Partnerships
The Broad Way
Big Macs for Big Grades
Hometown Success
How Well Does This Web Site Work?
Speaking Out
Crisis Response
New Products
Problem/Solution
Computer Literature
Research Center
Calendar of Events
Products Showcase
Understanding the Times

District Administration - April 2008

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