Next...

My task now falls to reading - information regarding what I have seen, blogs and Facebook pages related to current practice and reflecting on what this means for the next steps in our own journey.

Checking in at my school this week has revealed frustrations with email and the server that we still rely on heavily.  My Principal posed the question of where are we at in relation to the visits made. My response is that we are midway between best and not so good practice at this stage, with some clear directions we need to consider. 

The obvious one in light of the server issues is to move our computing into the cloud rather than the students having server based accounts.  We need to discuss in what form this will occur but may find ourselves pushed along to Google Apps so the students feeding in to us from our contributing schools, who are using these already, have consistency and can build their portfolios of work there.

Another is to introduce iPads into the digital classrooms to start with next year and move them into other classes as our digi-classes go through the process of incorporating them into the work we complete as innovatively as we can.  This does not mean the ditching of our laptops, but rather the offering of another tool to work with as required in the way we do as adults.

We have some work that needs to be done on how we are using the technology. Are we merely substituting one method of final copy production for another or are we allowing students to create - often in ways we can barely conceive of?  Are we planning and teaching for our comfort zone or theirs?  Concepts such as flipped classrooms to allow students access to learn and relearn basic concepts surely have a place in how we facilitate in our classrooms, don't they?  Does our version of the New Zealand Curriculum allow us to get creative as teachers or restrict us through trying to ensure coverage and resource access?  These are questions needing answers not just from our staff but our current community, bearing in mind this changes by half every year as students move in and out of the school.

Where do I fit?  Well this sabbatical time will allow me a chance to create a clearer vision without the daily stresses that come with teaching fulltime and also trying to be innovative.  Conversations with those in positions to support the changes can be approached at times when they have the time to listen, discuss and then think on the implementation of the shifts that will reveal themselves further.

The original project plan for my sabbatical was the creation of a wiki.  I still intend to follow through with either a wiki or another form of web page so that readings, lesson ideas, apps, new concepts and how these can be achieved (amongst other yet-to-be-discovered areas0 will be in a format allowing a more user friendly environment.  It is also something that can grow and morph as the technology and its uses does as well.  Watch for the link to this as the page is created.

Feedback from the digital teachers amongst you out there in cyber-world reading this blog is also welcomed.  It goes back to the adage of you don't know what you don't know.  If you think there is an idea you can offer I will welcome it and give you credit also.

Much to do over the next two weeks...