'The new pedagogies require students to create new knowledge and connect it to the world by using the power of digital tools.'

How could this Look at ISPS?

We, as teachers, would have to allow ourselves to lose some control over the exact content of learning - keeping in mind that the overall goal is based upon new aims for learning.  We need to get behind the idea that we want to develop students' ability to lead their own learning, however this will undoubtedly be a challenge. It will be hard to let go of wanting to control exactly what the students are working on and learning about, yet it will also be an enriching experience for both us and the students. Our focus should be on connecting learning experiences to children's own interests and aspirations by allowing students the freedom to explore their own interests. I am sure we will find ourselves in a situation where the students themselves are engaged in creative and connected learning with an authentic audience (potentially beyond the school) and where students themselves can work collaboratively without the assistance of the teacher. We might also find that students will become the teachers themselves as they will be able to speak authoritatively on learning they have undertaken without teacher assistance. In the 'Rich Seam' reading, they refer to teachers becoming partners with students and I think this is a key point to think about.

In addition to facilitating access to online learning within our classrooms, we will also need to ensure we are educating children on how to be responsible online learners. They will need to understand how to use the internet responsibly and carefully to find and share information. This will need to start as early as Prep. We must educate children on how anyone can write anything on the internet and on the dangers of sharing information with strangers. We should also be providing them with the tools to find reputable and trustworthy sites but equally we need to be open to students taking a certain amount of risk and allowing them to make mistakes - as this is where they will learn.

Another challenge will be for us to find digital tools that are meaningful and useful in the context of new learning - ensuring we are not just using technology for the sake of it. We will need to be constantly engaged in trial and error with new apps/websites and must be driven by a willingness to work collaboratively across the school. We will need to be open to trying new ideas and accepting that they will not always work. We will also need to become organised in planning for the use of technology - for example with two sets of iPads in the whole school, we will need to make others aware when we intend to use them and teach our students to be responsible for using and charging equipment so it can be used in other classrooms.

In summary, ISPS teachers will need to;

• plan for learning programs that allow students the freedom to explore their own interests
• take risks in implementing new digital tools
• be open to losing some level of control over learning
• encourage students to take risks and recognise failures as learning opportunities
• work collaboratively within and across teams.