WOW – another Microsoft Asia-Pacific Partners in Learning/Innovative Teachers Forum down – and more ideas and inspiration gained! I am now a ‘Master Trainer’ and have quite an insight into a few more tools in the Microsoft Suite. The brain is fuzzy, the eyes are tired – I am posting here so that I commit to following up further on the ideas in the next day or two – watch this space!!!
TENZ 2011 has started – and with a real twist! Unfortunately many of the delegates are either stuck in airports throughout the country or at home! Sunday and the weather ‘bomb’ created many issues here in Dunedin. My family and I ended up being stuck in Dunedin ourselves, not being able to get back to Oamaru! Dunedin airport was closed for most of Sunday and Monday, meaning many delegates and presenters aren’t here (yet – or at all!)
We had a wonderful keynote last night (unfortunately to just a small group) in Caroline Terpstra, the Head of the School of Design at the Polytechnic. Caroline talked about the concerns that we as a nation have in regards to the lack of productivity and value of productivity. She sees that Technology educators have a key role in contributing to the increase in this.
She spoke clearly about the need to teach students the skills of creativity. Creativity is not something that ‘just appears’ – it needs to be fostered, well organised and taught. Students need to understand how to record their ideas, build upon them, and communicate them to others, in order for those creative ideas to be maximised. Caroline has a passion for business and enterprise and sees these as important in the creative person. I had never really thought about this before – but I do see it as key – afterall, how else will they make the gains from their creative thinking?
She made the link with Creative thinking and education through the TED Talks Presentation of Sir Ken Robinson. This is a favourite video of mine – and each time I view it I find myself nodding – and agreeing with his question – Are Schools Killing Creativity? View the video at the link above and be entertained!
Caroline also informed us of industry weblinks that provide tools that support explicit teaching of thinking, skills, and collaboration. (I will post these up by the end of the day!). At OIS we have our Classroom Toolkits – Thinking toolkits that are filled with a range of thinking tools to teach, promote and organise thinking. I look forward to having a thorough look over these sites in order maybe add some ‘new’ tools to our toolboxes!
I will give you further update of the conference over the next day or two . . .
