SPS Shining the Light

Lighthouse or Navigator classrooms to show the way? What is a digital classroom? Well its not just the gear - but that helps shape the learning landscape. All teachers have their own laptops now, some will be putting their hands up to have fixed data display units in their rooms. This combined with access to a pod of wireless laptops. Show us what u can do!? :-) It's one thing for me to spend time modelling in classrooms - that is just a taste & very transient in the bigger scheme of things for the average classroom teacher. How often have I hoped to spark the flame, sometimes yes, but often no. The real multiplier effect will happen when teachers see it happening in each other's classrooms. Teachers often say 'If I could just see it in action'. Here may be the opportunity. Here may also be the threat - anything we do always has the potential to be a double edged sword. With Navigator classrooms there is the possibility of creating balkanism of the digital elite vs the resistors (though as Kelvin says we need the resistors to help us gain a balanced perspective). Jamie McKenzie (Learning @ School 2004) was very critical of the Navigator schools as being well resourced islands surrounded by a sea of schools who without. Julia Atkins countered this with her opinions that the Navigator Schools were influential in showing others the way (we know that from our own experience of Kim & Pat's visit there). So we need to focus on establishing good practise through resourcing, time to try things out & take risks, professional support, evaluation & reflection (some action research here?) and sharing it - again resourcing - support structures and time. Watch this space! :-)