Playing Catch-Up

I have just been reading a document called 'Future-focused learning in connected communities' put out by the 21st Century Learning Reference Group (May 2014). 
This brings up some very interesting points about ensuring our learners are confident, connected and lifelong learners. The report also talks about learners being problem-solvers of the future and how we must make sure we have equitable access to digital technologies and doing nothing is not an option. I believe this to be crucial in how we evolve into the next stage of our teaching practice in my situation. 
Another good point made is we need to create opportunities for developing skills and knowledge on programming literacy, to make digital technology do what ever one wants it to do 'to bend digital technology to ones needs, purposes, and will' (this concept has received wide support from leading educators such as Marc Prensky and leading technologists such as Sir Tim Berners Lee (pg. 9)). We also need to create opportunities to teach responsible use of the internet and social media, and not to only create passive consumers of technology. 
A startling paragraph in this report resonates deeply with my own pedagogy and I am copying and pasting this directly into this for future discussions. 

Curriculum design and delivery needs to change



The need to teach digital competencies has implications for curriculum design and delivery. If every student and educator is to be a confident, competent user of digital technologies, we will need to provide curriculum resources and professional development opportunities for teachers. We will also need to evaluate how effectively these are being deployed.
Current strategies are inadequate to the task. We urgently need a coordinated approach by education agencies and sector leaders. Our curricula, including National Standards and NCEA, must be interpreted with an eye to the future. They need to be understood and implemented in ways that promote and support students to develop 21st century skills and digital competencies.
To achieve a system-wide adoption of digital literacy, we must address assessment. We note that NZQA is planning to implement online exams with automated marking in the next decade and is rethinking assessment practices so they are fit for purpose: accessible online, directed towards assessment for learning, and available anywhere and at anytime. 
A more flexible, responsive assessment framework, designed to support students to take charge of their own learning, will be a critical aspect of future-focused learning. Such a framework should be implemented as soon as possible.  

After only one reading ... I am looking forward to the next lot.

Recent readings to follow up

Some of the really interesting articles I have found recently and I am wanting a good place to find them again. I have decided to link them here and then reflect on them when time permits.

https://newrepublic.com/article/124750/man-will-save-math

http://www.ewa.org/blog-educated-reporter/when-grit-isnt-enough

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/12/06/magazine/the-profound-emptiness-of-resilience.html?smid=fb-nytimes&smtyp=cur&_r=2&referer=http:/m.facebook.com

These have been on FB in the last week and I have only had a quick chance to look at the first one.