Every Learner with Online Learning Space by 2008

Going back to my afternoon with Tim Magner of the U.S. Department of Education and the bold new initiatives we’d love to have heard, but didn’t expect, this is one that would have gotten our attention…

All learners in every school will have access to a personalised on-line learning space that can support an e-portfolio by 2008.

Looking out of the Classroom
Looking out of the Classroom

I found mention of this target in the UK’s BSF program (which I talked about in yesterday’s blog) in a news story about Northgate and Fronter partnering to supply UK schools with Virtual Learning Environments (VLE).  Scanning the official BSF site, the only reference that I found to this expectation was a strategies document (see reference below).

Now I don’t want to sound like I think that students and teachers across the pond have it made in the shade now.  They face the same problems that all of us do, that of telling bold new stories in their stakeholder communities that convince people that new schools and new learning activities are critical to our future.  Just like here, the greatest resistance may actually come from inside of the institution.

But I have to also say that the concept, the atmosphere of flexibility and innovation, and the vision from the top to provoke change by opening things up, rather than closing them down — by empowering teachers and learners rather than setting them up for the fall — absolutely excites me.

This has all reminded me of a conversation that I had a few weeks ago with a vendor who is in the business of selling software and hardware related to digital content and also professional development.  They were showcasing a new podcasting product and I asked here where they get all the cool software.  She said, England.  She said that they attend ed tech conferences in the UK and that’s where they find the innovation that they then purchase or license and then bring it to US.


* “Strategy for Change.” Building Schools for the Future. 15 May 2007 <http://www.bsf.gov.uk/documents/SfCFullGuidance%20-%20FinalJuly06.doc>.
* Susan. “Our Classroom has a Window.” Susan NYC’s Photostream. 13 Jul 2006. 15 May 2007 <http://flickr.com/photos/en321/189142439/>.

2 thoughts on “Every Learner with Online Learning Space by 2008”

  1. David, loving the discussion about the future of schools in the UK. It will be very interesting to see how their first year goes!

    In regards to the comment made by Tim Magner about the online learning space, do you know of any information about this initiative that is online for me to read about? I’d like to use it in some upcoming meetings.

    Thanks again!

  2. Dave,

    I’m not sure what all the excitement is about. There are already numerous safe sites where students could establish their own presence. Teachers don’t often encourage them to do so, probably because they don’t even know that they exist. I’m concerned that if the government was to spend money in this way, it would be like giving every classroom enough computers for all students but not teaching teachers how to use them effectively.

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