Skip to main content

Find it, make it, use it, share it: Learning in Digital Wales Report

On Thursday I attended the launch of a report from the Digital Classroom Teaching Task and Finish Group at The Senedd in Cardiff. Entitled "Find it, make it, use it, share it: learning in digital Wales" the group's report set out what they think Welsh Government and many others should do to introduce, embed and promote the use of digital technologies to enhance teaching and learning. The group was set up by the Leighton Andrews, Minister for Education and Skills, as an external task and finish group to consider which digital classroom delivery aspects should be adopted to transform learning and teaching for those aged 3 - 19.



Leighton Andrews, Minister for Education and Skills

In particular the group was asked to consider:
  • how high-quality, accessible digital classroom content could be developed;
  • how National Grid for Learning (NGfL) Cymru was used, and whether there was a more effective way to deliver its aims;
  • whether and how a cloud-based content delivery system (e.g. the 'iTunes University' model); would work alongside a virtual learning environment (VLE) for Wales; 
  • how high-quality English and Welsh language content could be generated;
  • how to develop Welsh intellectual property which can be used to deliver digital teaching content; and
  • how teachers might get the digital teaching skills to use ICT to transform schools.


I personally believe this is a very exciting document for all involved in education in Wales. Overall there are 10 headline recommendations which if implemented by the Welsh Government I believe will move technology for learning and teaching in Wales into the 21st century. Recommendations are made throughout the document, some of the highlights for me include:

  • the teaching of digital competencies and applications in initial teacher training, postgraduate and other programmes and in continuing professional development
  • encouraging teachers to become members of professional bodies such as NAACE or ALT
  • using a variety of means to encourage teachers to support one another and share good practice, including an annual Welsh Digital Learning and Teaching Conference

Why am I particularly interested in these? Well I guess it's because being a school improvement ICT advisor most of my time is spent with teachers, developing their confidence and skills in effectively utilising technologies in the classroom and across the school. Any recommendations to government that include agreeing on ICT competencies in both new teachers to the professions AND existing teachers and senior management has my backing completely. I'm also very interested in how we can encourage teachers to support one another and share good practice. Our online ICT professional network network area has attempted to do this for several years with varying success. Looking ahead our intention is to have online tools at the centre of the new IAS (Integrated Achievement Service) in SE Wales that will allow for active collaboration, sharing of practice, discussion in a social environment. The challenge is in encouraging the majority teachers to engage in this type of 'social learning'. I like a challenge!  

For further information and comment have a look at these websites:
Merlin John Online - 'Hwyl' and 'Hwb' digital plan goes to the Welsh Assembly
BBC Wales - Digital learning system for Wales recommended by review
Welsh Government - Independent Review of Digital Classroom Teaching Task and Finish Group
Welsh Government - Video Case Studies
NUT - Comment on the Digital Classroom Report
Wales Online - Facebook and Twitter should be used in schools as learning tools, says new report












  





Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts

Defining Digital Competence

In a couple of previous posts I looked at what was meant by the term digital literacy and what this could mean in the Welsh education context. These were written in response to a recommendation from the ICT Steering Group report , proposing a new statutory Digital Literacy Framework for schools. I attempted to define what digital literacy meant using definitions from groups such as The Royal Society, Becta, Futurelab , Jisc and Common Sense Media. It was very difficult to pin down exactly what it meant but there were certainly commonalities between all of them. This week however, Prof. Graham Donaldson published his report on the curriculum and assessment in Wales, "Successful Futures" , and in it referred not to digital literacy , but to digital competence (which is a term I'm far happier using).  I therefore feel it's important for me to try in this post to understand what is meant by this term, look at some definitions and find out if there are any differences ...
2 comments
Read more

Digital Literacy: The Context for Wales & Definitions

At a time when England have introduced digital literacy elements to their new Computing PoS, and with the recommendations from the ICT Steering Group report for a digital literacy framework alongside the new subject of Computing, I’ve been attempting to look closely into what exactly is meant by the term ‘digital literacy’, and ultimately what this could mean for primary and secondary schools in Wales. I intend to put together a series of blogs on the topic, mainly as a way to help me with my understanding around some of the current thinking in this field, but hopefully it will still be of interest to teachers and others. I'd welcome any of your thoughts or comments on this topic. The Context In June 2012, Leighton Andrews, the then Minister for Education and Skills, announced “an additional £3m of funding over the next three years to support a range of measures to improve computer science, digital literacy and ICT in schools and colleges across Wales.” This announcement came ...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Digital Learning Den

Gareth Morgan Consultancy has now been going for nearly 7 years, providing advice, support and training to primary schools across Wales. Where did that time go? Throughout those years, I've always had an ICT skills ladder that I've offered to schools. It's been updated continually throughout those years with quite a change in focus when the Digital Competence Framework (DCF) was introduced and with the ubiquitous use of Hwb and its related cloud based applications and digital resources. Initially this skills ladder was paper based and at one stage I had four versions of it as the example activities were focused around specific applications e.g., Google for Education / Purple Mash or Microsoft 365 / Just2easy. The problem I found was keeping these documents up to date. Applications would change or I would have new ideas or web-links would die or change.  So a couple years ago I moved everything online and created The Digital Den. Schools could buy into the platform for a ye...
Post a Comment
Read more