In NZ's 'Good Teacher Magazine' Term 1, 2007, Dr Garry Falloon, Waikato University, poses this question: ICT is it a case of too much too soon? There's reference to students with laptops to those sharing a PC, to digital film making and interactive whiteboards. But what caught my attention, was his support of what he sees as imperative. In particular:* "We need to be educating children to be out of the box thinkers, who have that creativity and entrepreneurial attitude and the whole desire to learn..."
* "Kids need to know to respect others when interacting in an online environment..."
* "...not just taking notes about what they are seeing, but really learning more as they are doing it.."
These are the angles that drive Learn-Now. It's these practices and these reasons that have become 'the Learn-Now way'. But, most encouragingly of all, is our "Yes! We're just that', with regards to responding to Falloon's final point.
** "What are kids learning when they are on the computer? ...Are they learning about the world? (With Learn-Now, yes!). Are they learning about how to get on with other people? (With Learn-Now, most definitely). Are they learning about environmental issues? (With Learn-Now, yes - both NZ and globally). And do the children know what the contextual learning is around these activities? With Learn-Now, yes. It's built within their programme, through contact reflection and self evaluation.
We're hugely encouraged by what we read here. Learn-Now itself continually goes through intense reflection and evaluation. We are on track.
