A Student Strand Big Idea
By Paul McMahon on Mar 2, 2009 in Educational Conferences and tagged 21clearnhk09, project, students
Readers will know that I am very, very keen to have a student strand to the 21st Century Learning @ Hong Kong conference this October. I really feel that this will add a strong air of authenticity to what we are going to be discussing at the conference. I have blogged previously about how authentic I found the Flat Classroom conference run by Julie Lindsay and Vicky Davis in Doha.
I have had some meetings with a keen group of teachers here in Hong Kong and we all agree that it is a good idea but everyone here is insanely busy! It is a Hong Kong thing! It is around two and a half weeks since our initial meeting and noone has added any ideas to our google doc about the student strand. I have sent a couple of reminders out to keep up the interest but I am not in a position to drive this along with the other aspects of the conference. My thinking, right or wrong, is that if we had an idea or a concept to rally around, we might be better directed and motivated.
So, in the interests of getting things moving along, here is my latest idea.
It is based upon a blog post I wrote some time ago about social networking for kids under 13 in the Asian region. What about we give the kids around here the problem and tell them to solve it? We tell them that this needs to be a social network that is analogous to the Superkids Plus model so it is safe, moderated, attactive to kids from 6-12, and successful.
This would be no mean feat! I can see them having to come up with ideas for all of these things and more:
- Pitching to their peers
- Getting a platform
- Convincing someone to fund it
- Deciding if it should have a commercial aspect (hopefully not)
- Convincing schools to back it
- Producing some initial content to attract and maintain a following
- Letting parents know about it
- Getting moderators (Uni Students) onboard
- Getting media coverage
I am optimistic that it could be done and that the conference would be the place to kick it off, but I see it as a huge challenge! Fits the bill for me really. Over to you guys for comments.
3 Comment(s)
It’s a tough one to think about Paul but I’ll try.
I am getting a lot of vibe on the blog scene about “the future” of eduation, for example:
http://teachpaperless.blogspot.com/2009/03/times-they-are-changin-apologies-to.html
and
http://coolcatteacher.blogspot.com/2009/03/no-future-left-behind-peggy-sheehys.html
Children challenging education as it is. Children facing up to their “school life of learning” and comparing that to what they do outside of school.
Can a student thread at our conference build on the student video in the second blog? Can it be as powerful or even more so?
Does this or can this lead to a “Paperless Learning” environment as the first blog I posted is striving to shout from the hilltops to the education community?
It’s something to think about regarding the theme of the student strand.
Colin
Thanks for the feedback on this Colin.
Great to see you thinking about it. I am not sure if Asian schools are ready for kids talking as forcefully as Peggy’s are but I might be wrong on this.
Did you have a look at SuperClubs Plus? Getting kids themselves to set up something like this might be a tangible??
We do need to shape this up soon.
Regards
Paul
Yeah, that’s the thing Paul I really don’t know the general gist of elementary school kids here in HK.
I can tell you from my perspective where I work that Technology as a class taught and used as a tool in the classroom is very far behind and almost an afterthought.
I know the feeling of the head banging against the wall…is there a HK school out there with kids who have eyes on the future…now!