Our objective for this visit is to offer participating schools the opportunity to experience firsthand how the internet is used in other parts of the world for facilitating better learning in class, school and district settings. This opportunity will used to:
- Develop global links between Northamptonshire BLT Network schools (Better Learning using Technologies) and educators worldwide to facilitate an ongoing collaborative, dialogue and sharing of practical ideas about how the potential of internet technologies for learning can be effectively harnessed within the realities of classroom life.
- Develop and share strategies as to how technologies can be used by schools to enhance learning through global communication and collaboration.
- Share strategies for introducing emerging technologies and associated new ways of working are introduced to staff and students.
- Develop and deepen children’s understanding of how the internet is ‘shrinking’ the world, equipping them with ways of developing their ‘virtual’ voice and exercising their responsibility as global citizens.
In Northamptonshire, we believe that new and existing technologies offer real opportunities for all learners to learn better through purposeful, authentic collaboration and communication. We believe that the opportunities to experience how the technologies are used for better learning in another country will ultimately support us in embedding good practice in our individual schools as well as Northamptonshire as a whole.
On my visit to South Korea I found lots of aspects of the trip interesting. In particular I found that all staff were regularly using ICT in their lesson discretely as it was a non-ICT lesson. They made good use of the electronic learning system and perhaps the reason why it was so successful there compared to how VLE’s are used here is because the Government in Korea insists that all staff and students use it.
I have a few ideas I would like to try and implement back in the UK after visiting South Korea. I liked the use of images on the blinds to aid learning and the motivational sayings on the stairs. I also liked how the library’s over felt relaxing and conducive to reading. In many ways it felt quite like what you would expect in a coffee shop in a modern city.
To disseminate my experiences from South Korea I am planning to have a meeting with my headmaster and the ICT leadership team to see if there is anything we can do based on a limited budget that would be similar to what I have seen in Korea.
Great stuff Andi. Thanks for your brilliant attitude over the week!