I'm interested in topics related to school reform and how it impacts the intersection of education/learning and emerging/innovative interactive technologies.  There are many changes going on that will impact the future of education, and I thought I'd devote a post or two to this topic on the Interactive Multimedia Technology and TechPsych blogs.

Over the past few years, I've noticed that there is a re-occurring theme, sort of a self-perpetuating "myth" - or hope, that if we just could fire/tweak/transform- the teachers, and if we just had the right kind of technologies and applications at hand, the multiple problems of education would be solved.  Of course, we know it is much more complicated than throwing innovative technologies, teaching strategies, and new, "highly qualified" teachers into the educational mix!

On this note,  I'd like to share a link to an article written by Dan Sutch on the Flux blog, hosted by FutureLab. ( I've included some links to resources from the FuturLab website.  I've also added my own "2-cents" to the topic of technology and education reform, which can be found at the top of this blog under the "My 2-cents: Innovative Technologies, Education Reform, which is in draft form.)


In his article, Dan Sutch touches on some key problems facing education. Like the little boy in the children's book, the Emperor's New Clothes, he points out that the polarizing debates regarding education blind us to what we really need to think about- and understand.  


A Temporal View on the Aims of EducationDan Sutch,  Flux (FutureLab)  October 7, 2010
Here are thee three "meta-functions" of education discussed in Dan's article:
How the world is as it is. Which requires exploration of what is already known about the world: knowledge domains, histories, cultural differences etc.  [The past] This only makes sense in relation to how learners Understand their place in the world. This is a focus on the individual, their culture and context, their interests, knowledges and relationships etc. [The present] This then leads to a need to understand How they act within the world and how they can change it. This is about developing personal identities and agency, and the skills to enact them – for themselves, their communities and for wider global challenges. [The future] By using this framework, it might be possible for us to generate meaningful ways to use technology to support the business/science/art of teaching and learning. This framework might be something for university-level teacher educators to consider.

RELATED AND SOMEWHAT RELATED
About Dan Sutch"Dan's main research interests are in mobile learning, radical innovation and the role of the teacher in technology-rich learning environments. Dan’s current work involves investigating new models of innovation in the design and application of digital learning resources and the capacity of teachers to act as innovators in the use of digital learning resources."
Panel of Flux Contributors
I encourage you to take a look at the other people who contribute to Flux!  They are on the forefront of education and emerging technologies, and come from a wide range of disciplines.


About FutureLab
FutureLab is an organization located in the UK that focuses on "the way people learn through innovative technology and practice".   The FutureLab website has a wealth of information about interactive and immersive technologies that support- or have the potential to support- learning. 


FutureLab's Free Online Tools
One of many examples is Create-A-Scape:
"Create-A-Scape is a website that provides resources for creating digitally-enhanced learning experiences, using mobile technology to experience location-sensitive sounds and images that have been 'attached to' the local landscape. Can be used right across the curriculum with all age groups." -FutureLab


Links to FutureLab topics, from the home page of the FutureLab website:
14-19  21st century skills  assessment  augmented reality  citizenship  collaboration  creativity curriculum  digital inclusion  digital media  family learning  futures  games health  informal learning  innovation innovative teaching  learner voice learning spaces  lifelong learning mobile/handheld  open source  personalisation pre-school  primary  secondary  skills  social software  thinking skills  user-centred design
Links to FutureLab's current projects:Adult Informal Learning Beyond Current Horizons Create-A-Scape Creativity in European Schools Curriculum Innovation Network Digital Participation Dream Catcher Education Eye Enquiring Minds Exploratree Fizzees Fountaineers Games and Learning Games-Based Experiences for Learning Gaming in Families Harnessing Technology Home-School Relationships Infocow iTEC Learning in Families Learning Spaces New Assessment Scenarios Pedagogy 3.0 Power LeagueSerious Games in Education Technology-Supported Curriculum