Express American digital trip
"I want to put together a web-based tool to say this is what some teachers are doing." Keith Dobson
A quest to find the best examples of wired education is taking a Palmerston North teacher to classrooms in the United States.
Awatapu College head of art and design Keith Dobson has been teaching for 23 years. He is a firm believer that devices and technology can bring worthwhile benefits to classroom learning, but says it has to be done right to get the best results, not just as a gimmick.
Details were released on June 28 of a proposed new digital technologies curriculum for New Zealand schools that could require primary schools to introduce digital technology learning for all pupils from years one to 10. This could involve building apps or robots, programming, or learning to write step-by-step logical instructions.
At the NCEA level, pupils who choose digital technology subjects will be directed to learn more specific skills required by industry.
Dobson said pupils entering high schools are increasingly more tech-literate and need to be prepared for a more tech-dependent world. This means teachers are racing to become more adept at successfully incorporating digital resources into their subjects and are faced with choosing from an intimidating range of software available.
He hopes to assemble a resource to offer more information about software choices and has been awarded a prestigious Fulbright scholarship to study and work on his project for four months at Indiana University later this year. ‘‘There’s not a one-size fits all.’’ He will visit a range of schools, including some using progressive and diverse teaching approaches, such as project-based learning.
‘‘I want to put together a webbased tool to say this is what some teachers are doing, and this is the strengths and weaknesses.’’
Dobson already uses and provides pupils with a range of digital resources in his art and design classes, including some not specifically designed for education, and says the range available is overwhelming.
‘‘It’s incredibly exciting and a real honour.’’