21st Century Schools

Since its publication in June of this year I have struggled to understand the implications of this White Paper.

It sounds good, is full of promises and some fine examples from outstanding schools. However, it seems to be propounding 'more of the same' rather than looking to new approaches. I cannot see throughout the document how 21st Century Schools will be any different to what we have NOW, nevermind in the future.

For some time now we have understood the implications of a 'flat world' and that has been developed further in Peter Bradwell's paper, 'The Edgeless University'.

I therefore see schools in a similar light. We have discussed the inestimable merits of formative assessment through the e-Portfolio many times. Along with the Home Access Programme we will soon have a near 100% on-line access for all our learners. In schools I see the 'expert' teacher not only being called upon by students in their own class, but also from other classes and other year-groups and even from other schools, 24/7/365. And why stop there? What about adult learners or collaboration with colleagues or professionals around the world? Perhaps the whole issue of contracts and conditions of service needs to be re-appriased in the light of on-line learning communities?

What can we learn from others?

For quite some time I have been following Sarah Stewart's blog see:
http://sarah-stewart.blogspot.com/

She is a highly competent and adventurous New Zealander working in midwifery and has recently taken up a post in Australia where she is developing some astounding work in Second Life. However, I was very impressed by a recent SlideShare presentation:
http://www.slideshare.net/sarahs/eportfolio-for-health-professionals?

Apart from being a very useful presentation in its own right, I wonder how many other professionals in other fields are using some sort of e-Portfolio - and if they have presentations which might extend our thinking even further?

Coincidentally, I also read Kevin Brace's Midlands Eportfolio Group blog which adverted to a most interesting list of the perceptions of those involved in Work-Based Assessments:

http://rscwbl.jiscinvolve.org/files/2008/07/wbl-providers-eportfolios.doc
The document was produced by Carolyn Lewis (RSC National Work Based Learning Co-ordinator) with information sourced from feedback to RSCs, The Excellence Gateway, ALP and City and Guilds.

I am conscious of, nay humbled by, the fact that there are so many of you readers out there, over 1400, from 61 countries, and counting. It therefore strikes me that there could well be good examples of e-Portfolio practice that might help our understanding and application e-Portfolios in schools.

Please be so kind as to add any suggestions either as comments to this blog or directly to me at: support@maximise-ict.co.uk

An end to Grades?

I recently saw a post which caught my imagination from The Daily Collegian. This is an area which has troubled me for a long time. How, exactly, will Teaching, Learning and Assessment change with the use of e-Portfolios?

I quote a section from the article:

"O’Brien added that the growing use of e-portfolios have dramatized the potential for tools other than grades to convey what students have learned.

"Other concerns with letter grades, according to O’Brien, include to potential for grade inflation to take away from the reliability of grades and the concern of consistency with grading as more students are taking courses at multiple colleges, including colleges overseas.

"Maribeth Clark, Provost of the New College of Florida, offers a system in which students must work out a contract with a faculty adviser each semester.

"The contract outlines which courses should be taught and how success will be measured. Professors contribute to a record of the student’s success, without using grades. According to Clark, at New College, dislike of the traditional student transcript is so great that the college does not even send them out. Students are in charge of sending out their own records when applying to graduate school.

"At Fairhaven College, students don’t receive grades either. They participate in a two-way evaluation process with professors for every course, and for their major and degree programs. The students evaluate their own work first, then their professors follow with their own evaluation and then the two have a much involved discussion. Many assignments also feature self-evaluation, as students complete a paper and also write about what they learned from the process of writing the paper or how the assignment did or did not work for them."

So what is happening in the UK or elsewhere?

1. Will e-Portfolios encourage the use of the Project approach?
   
2. Will we see students having to plan their own work schedules?
   
3. Will collaboration actually help learning?
   
4. Will 'anytime access' to teachers by pupils increase their workload?
   
5. Will formative inputs from staff help in sumative assessments?

If you have any opinions or suggestions please comment!