Their Space

http://www.demos.co.uk/publications/theirspace

I realise that this is not a book, but it runs to over 80 pages and I enjoyed reading it, so I'm doing a review right here! The pamphlet is avaialble from the web page @ £10.00 but a .pdf file can be downloaded free of charge (guess which I did).

"Education for a digital generation draws on qualitative research with children and polling of parents to counter the myths obscuring the true value of digital media. "

It's well worth the time to sit and read this if you get the chance and if you are interested in moving the UK's Education system forward. The paper tends to echo what lies at the heart of everything I do. It pinpoints a real need for us all to understand the advances young people (from the very earliest cognitive age) are making. These are often seen but misunderstood - or not understood at all, in fact we often place barriers to the advances in their way.

Just looking beyond the titled subject matter for a minute - the document discusses young people and their ability (or capability, indeed social NEED) to change the world. The problem currently, is that teachers and lecturers have not yet faced this need and have not therefore adapted their style of teaching as necessary. The publication suggests that it is the 'system' that prevents these necessary changes - and I wholeheartedly agree but the system can be changed from within if enough teachers take up the mantle and adapt to suit their charges.

Unfortunately, there are no answers given or discussed to the knee-jerk reaction of most schools and colleges to 'inappropriate' use of 'the system'. The barriers mentioned earlier. Basically, kids using YouTube or MySpace scare adults and teachers who don't quite understand what is going on. Major shifts in learning (styles and capabilities) are taking place and our answer to this is to ban access to the sites. Oh, I know that young people shouldn't really be using institutional machines to view a variety of 'naughty' (or morally suspect - an example given to me was the early morning viewing of Saddam swinging from the rope) things, but they will always want to push boundaries of good taste and social mores. Instead of banning the use - why can't we implement those punishments the institution has in place. In colleges every student signs an acceptable use policy; beat them with it!

I’m told that the institutional fear is ‘Every Child Matters’ – which imposes a duty of care on all who work with ‘Children’.
http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/socialinclusion/youngpeople/greenpaper.html
http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/
http://www.everychildmatters.gov.uk/publications/

Sadly, it seems that the re-training and re-skilling which is needed, is not high on the agenda of many college (or school) managements. Where it is, it is usually due to some external pressure. There is still a massive need for e-Learning staff development in this country and until the powers that be recognise this we'll get nowhere. I've heard all the glib answers, but coming from politicians so far removed from the classroom (or the social net-space!) they mean very little. When I can still go into a roomful of teachers, show them what CAN be done and simple ways of DOING it and come away leaving them enthused and motivated - it proves there is still a need. What those teachers then need is TIME to practice, to evaluate and to synthesise their learning, then to be supported and guided towards future devel0pment.

Rant over.

David