Page 171 - Microsoft Word - The Future of Learning April 2017.docx

The safety of learners within the internet domain must be a high priority within schooling systems. This issue is embedded within the competency of ‘Managing Self’, but it requires specific learning objectives that enable learners to take increasing agency over their technological and virtual worlds responsibly.
Resource 69: NetSafe
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There is a lot of talk at present about the shortage of people who have the capacity to be innovative with new technology, as well as design, write code and build the required ICT tools (such as tech, apps and programmes) that we all use every day. While this need is very real, this does not necessarily mean that everyone should learn how to code to a point where they can create their own apps. Just one of the real issues here is how many educators do we have that understand the coding languages and the technological rationale for choosing one language above another?
The argument that coding builds logical thinking structures in our brain and that we will automatically apply the logical problem-solving approach to other contexts has little no substance. This comment does not imply that we should not teach coding - we just shouldn’t make it compulsory for everyone, as this is a sure way to turn learners away from this pursuit.
Unless the learner has a conceptual understanding of what they are doing and applies that understanding to a range of different contexts, they will only use that thinking for the one context they have experienced that in. Teaching code and making the thinking processes explicit has considerable value, if those learning strategies are identified and applied to other learning and life contexts - but probably still not for everyone. Technology has had a problematic history in its application in schools and the reason for that is captured in the quote below.
We have moved from being on the cusp of technology being beneficial within schools, to a point where we are no longer debating that, and those benefits will only increase over the coming years. Neither the downsides or the upsides of technology use in schools are about to disappear but they do require debate and this requires schools carrying out action learning projects to assess the value of specific applications of technologies within your school’s context.
We tend to overestimate the effect of a technology in the short run and underestimate the effect in the long run.186 Roy Amara
186 Jenkins, S. (2016). The Second half of the Chessboard. JupiterJenkins.com. Retrieved from http://www.jupiterjenkins.com/the-second- half-of-the-chessboard/