http://www.ezekiels.co.uk

Genius - 3 vids about school life

Thanks to Ewan for the pointer.

These are genius, funny, true, and just on the right side of ‘wrong’ - if you know what I mean!

Parents Evenings

Literacy Training

ofsted

spend money - raise attainment?

As you can read below - there is a correlation between spending and attainment.  But, there are clearly some complex aspects to these findings! An increased spend of £1000 can make a 2.2% improvement. What about £5000 - or £10,000 per pupil!

This research is good news for commercial suppliers - because it implies that if schools spend money on resources, they get more educational gain from it than free material.

This whole area should, surely, be one of the most important research areas - because we need to understand better the role of the commercial sector in education - and the relationship to free stuff - a growing and improving competitor.

Now that BBCJam is dead, eLCs gone,  economy in zero growth - the only way to maintain positive momentum is to get right into this big question - and work out how to better spend our tax £s to best effect - clear of political confusion.

Many would say that this is a common sense issue - but I find that sense is rarely common.

What do you think?

Impact of school resources on attainment at Key Stage 2 (Centre for Economic Performance and Centre for the Economics of Education, London School of Economics) DCSF research brief 043

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This study examined whether the recent increase in school expenditure has made a difference to the attainment of pupils at Key Stage 2. Data from the National Pupil Database (2001/02 – 2005/06), Schools Census, Section 52 and Consistent Financial Reporting were used to form an education production function whereby pupil attainment was seen to be a function of pupil characteristics, their school and school resources.

Key findings from the study:

Increasing school expenditure led to increased attainment in English, maths and science at KS2 for all pupils.

The estimated effects implied that an increase of £1,000 in average school expenditure per pupil would raise the number of learners attaining level 4 or above (expected standard at age 11) by 2.2 percentage points in English, by 2.0 in mathematics and by 0.7 percentage points in science.

Pupils entitled to free school meals benefited more on average from increased expenditure in terms of attainment in English and mathematics than pupils not eligible for FSM. The estimated effects were also larger for pupils with higher prior attainment than those with lower attainment at KS1.

The analysts concluded it was easier to convert additional resources into improved attainment in English for schools with a higher proportion of pupils eligible for FSM. The opposite was true for science where more advantaged schools showed larger gains from increased expenditure than more disadvantaged ones.

Did I just turn down work?

In the past few months I have turned down a few very good offers of work - including two full time posts.

The money was good, the opportunities in line with my skills, knowledge and experience….

So - in this economic climate, I must be mad - right????!

I have maintained a policy of only going for work I am interested in since I left teaching - and so far, it has worked for me!!!

How do I know if I am making the right decisions? I don’t!!! All I know is that there needs to be a mix of factors in the right proportion to get me fired up.

If I am not engaged - I am not giving my clients value for money - and if I am not doing that - well,… maybe I would be in the wrong line of work.

What is it that I do well when I am engaged? An ex-colleague called me an ‘alchemist’ - because I bring ingredients together to make a successful project. I think this is not far off from how I see it - a mix-master - a synthesiser - a Matchmaker.

To get this magic right - I need to have a feel for the work.

So far, I have got this right. If I wait, the right work comes my way. I have just had three calls (in the past few days) of offers that might be right for me. So,… maybe my luck is holding.

Pause and Contract - Some ideas to survive the economic downturn

There is a bit of pressure on the economy at the moment… have you noticed?

There are lots of wider economic factors causing this - credit crunch and fuel prices, etc, - but there are two that seem specific to the UK - with direct bearing on the education sector.

1 - The weather. A wet, miserable summer means that those depending on the sun (outdoor activities, etc) do very badly and overall annual spending drops - because there is little or no way to replace the lack of spending into our economy - instead, we spend it abroad!

2 - The forthcoming election and Labour’s poor leadership. Like so many, I still believe that a weak Labour administration is better than any Tory government. However, less people agree with this than did a year ago. Gordon Brown is clearly undermining the impact that of the great work done so far.

SO - what does this have to do with education? The government is clearly looking to make some announcements to prove that they have a plan to turn around the problem with standards (especially for some groups) and for access. However, there is little or no more money available. It is unlikely that there will be another great spending spree (like massive new national strategies programmes or COL and eLCs)

Publishers, NGOs, education authorities,… in fact everyone, is holding fire while we wait to see what money will be available over the next 3 years. Publishing plans are being reviewed, staffing levels are being investigated, and strategies re-written to consolidate, rather than innovate.

This is at a time when teachers and students have just had a growth in development and investment almost unparalleled in UK history. Yet, all this is about to, (or has already) stop.

Apart from the obvious impact on people’s jobs (including mine!) there is a real danger that this pause and contraction in the sector will lead to some highly negative consequences for progress in curricula and delivery.

1 - Political focus will return to value for money decisions - and the role of assessment in budget decisions. Success will be rewarded, and the division of a two tier system increased. Obviously, this is a mistake - and the chinese proverb about not fattening a pig by weighing it will be rolled out again.

2 - Conservatism around curriculum reform will limit the progress made thus far and lessons learned in Scotland. Protecting investment will be formost in all large organisations, especially in policy and corporate publishers. To overturn years of curriculum control and assessment regimes, without the money to support teachers in developing new working practices would be catastrophic.

SO - can we expect, hope, dream, lobby for a more positive outcome?

Without crystal balls, it is impossible to predict the path the economy will take - but there are at least two simple things we can do in our sector to help retain the positive developments we hoped to see grow:

Share and Support - spread the word of the good work done so far, and be critical friends to each other -so that when there is some money to spend, we make the right decisions and demonstrate value in smart innovation.

Protect and Extend - be frugal. Fix and flex the value that can be made from existing or old content. Make small steps - but keep going.

Be Patient - easy to say, hard to do (especially as a freelancer!) The sector will not always grow at the same speed, but well researched and learner-centred materials will always be needed (what ever the business model)

Make new friends - don’t lose the old ones - but perhaps the answers might come from linking up with new organisations- eg: museums and publishers, Suppliers and LAs, teachers and games developers.

I wonder if there are any other suggestions you might have? Let’s extend these ideas and share - so we can all survive to live and learn.

Games for Education- what the hell do we mean? A Scottish Rebellion!

I have been thinking about problem with the idea of games for education - and the problem with terminology.

OK - we know there is a huge problem with the word ‘game’.  Games are meant to be fun and are not the same as simulatons and interactives. There are also hybrid, such as serious games - which always seem to be a contradiction in terms to me.  SO - we need to be clearer about what we mean when we say ‘game’.

But, that is not what I have been thinking about.

Education is the problem here.  I am often fixed on the confines of formal education - ie within schools - because that is my background and the sector my clients most often communicate in.

I know that learning happens outside of school - we all know it! But, a world without schools is not possible in the near future - because we don’t understand enough about how to make learning personalised to each student. The social consequences of not making access to learning open and as fair as possible is not acceptable - so school remains on the only way we have (for the foreseeable future) to help children learn - to educate them.

BUT - education is rarely fun. OK, sometimes it can be, but mostly kids would rather be doing something else. We capture them, and can hold their interest… but you only have to see their eyes when you suggest they turn off their game to see how much more effectively games have a hold on them. They are having fun.

So - can we bring the two worlds together? Can we give the time and space for kids and teachers to learn together using games - in school?

Well - we could!  - But before this is really possible - the contraints of curricula and assessments need to be removed - and teachers need to be empowered to be guides - with freedom to explore.

Unless  we wake up tomorrow in a totally different political context, this is not going to happen here for a long time. There is a  huge body of evidence to demonstrate that the education system needs to change. But, there is little or no evidence of the shifts needed to capture the best of the opportunities for learning that the 21st century has to offer.

So - ‘games in education’ is a debate that highlights the conflicts with language and culture that underpin our age.

Is it, therefore, a distraction? Should those of us involved in education be focussing on small shifts (which only end up having any chance of implementation when embedded in the curricula/assessment system) - or should we be setting up subversive communities of learners and educators, who can help us change the language and practice of learning from a 19th century one to something appropriate for the 21st?

Scotland - the land of innovation and intellectual subversion - is again leading the way. But, the language there has not changed. The debate there about games in education is still trapped in old paradigms and discourse.

So, GLOW raises attainment. Great. But, what has changed in the learning dynamic? What do we call these shifts? C’mon Scotland. Help us move on.

Homebrew Clarification…..

Following my enthusiastic comments about homebrew - I thought I should explain in a little more detail my view of the legal position and the relationship to ‘publishing’.

There is no doubt that the technology that enables homebrew - specifically the hardware- is a thorny subject - as it goes hand in hand with software privacy. It is unlikely that R4DS cards will get into most classrooms, due to the perceived legal risks.

Headline: Headteacher buys software piracy device for classroom - school sued by Nintendo

So - why I am so excited about what homebrew shows us?

For those of is involved in creating apps for young people - either for playing or learning - homebrew give us a way to prototype or research ideas that could be made into properly licensed software. It is becoming easier to develop small scale apps eg. for iPhone, 360 with Xbox Live Arcade, Ps3/PSP with PSN, Wii with WiiWare - and the distribution is all totally above board and endorsed by the platform holder.

So, the slightly dodgy legal ground that homebrew sits in (not least as it is a close neighbour to theft) is worth close observation - as it points us to the innovation happening OUTSIDE the safe confines of the commercially driven publishing community.

The liminal spaces are always the most interesting - and it is up to us to bring the best of it out into the light.

Post to the Handheldlearning Forum

In advance of this October’s conference, I am hoping to stir up the debate about the types of games talked about at the handheldlearning event. Thanks to their sponsors, Nintendo, the organisers have sent a DS Lite to those who have registered early! Unfortunately, the game they sent with it is Brain Training - one of the least interesting (and most educationally questionable) games available for this device.

Yet, this machine has huge potential to support learning.

I have been playing with and talking to games developers about the growing field of homebrew apps for the nintendo DS.

It seems to me that the discussions about Guitar Hero and Nintendogs for the DS misses the point of using devices like the DS in schools - in that, although they are fun - and learning is happening,… they do not empower the learner to take the driving seat in their learning.

There are clearly some legal grey areas around this kit - but apps like colors and pocket physics use the kit to great advantage (especially the pressure sensitivity).

Painting, Animation, modelling, simulations, game development… all possible with these simple apps.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N5YBsiKhmoo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km7tDKiDH3A&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJ2piF4tp1w

http://www.collectingsmiles.com/colors/

Nintendo should be encouraged and shown how these apps will boost the use of their handhelds, and discouraged from seeing homebrew as a threat.

Are there any examples out there of these apps being used in the classroom? Does anyone know how the legal position plays out in a school context?

I am considering taking them into schools, but would love to hear from you all first!!

Eylan

Dynamic Assessment on the move?

There is a Goldsmiths project looking at how to make handheld learning more supportive of the whole educational cycle - and effectively integrate the assessment.

Worth watching this one - to see if it brings lessons to the wider market.

I suppose the question is, not if Dynamic portfolios are needed - but whether bespoke apps are needed or whether they can be appropriated from elsewhere?

Never ahead of my time, just ahead of the rest!

I am often asked by people who have not worked with me before to give examples of my good judgement about the market. There is one example I have used so often that it is hardly confidential anymore.

Last week, I reviewed my proposal documentation - and I was taken aback by how good the idea was! I want to share it, not just because it makes me look good, but because although much of the idea has been overtaken by services and technology, although teachers might have loved it - there is a lesson about timing and ROI, which will follow. I also want to give an example for the discussion about the role/place of publishers I and others have had with Ewan MacIntosh.

In 2002, only two years after leaving the chalkface, I was asked to research and propose a major new product/service for the primary sector. Budgets were less tight back then, and although ELCs had not yet happened, there was clearly going to be more money in the market. So, a good time to pitch. After a year at this major educational publishing department I presented something called ‘the staffroom’.

Essentially, it was content to be organised into searchable, ‘tagable’. Teachers could find the bits of their favourite schemes and published resources they were looking for. Teachers could also upload their own materials (which gave them credits), as well as rate each others.

Although mostly subscription, a considerable aspect of the site was to be free - a space for teachers to share ideas - and where experts and authors would engage with those still at the chalkface.

OK - so that was it. Not so earth-shattering now. But 5 years ago, there was also nothing doing any of this for teachers.

So, how did I get the idea together and why did it not get passed by the management?

The idea came from reading and listening to teachers online. It was teachers, not publishers and/or techies that were asking for these services.

Teachers buy into schemes because they have to! They rarely want the whole package - but recognise that there is lots of good stuff they do want - and are prepared to buy the rest to get at the good stuff. Publishers have problems getting teachers to see the value of their new material, and move from ‘old favourites’ - so a trust-worthy place for both to access and play with content was a no brainer.

Also, following conversations with Jens Bammel, ex Chief Executive of the PLA - I had come to understand the implications of DRM, authors rights and the management of permissions. Tagging and XML were clearly going to be part of the answer - and so the proposal was scaffolded to fit this technical reality.

There was no business model in our sector to use as an indicator, to work out how much to spend on the project, and what sort of Return On Invesment (ROI) there might be, let alone what the on going costs might be! There was also a huge investment needed to prepare all the content for the web.

I argued that this was going to be necessary for the whole business - so it was best to do it now!

OK - so I was right. Eventually, years after competitors had already finished, this publisher has now finished getting most of its stuff ready. There are now loads of services where teachers can share, upload and rate each others materials. Publishers are packaging up smaller chunks of their materials for teachers to personalise their teaching and learning. Funding for VLEs has provided a technical  and policy driven openess to services from publishers.

But,…. back in 2003, the management team were looking at far too many unknowns, and a market that did not know that it wanted these services! The marketing and communications that seemed necessary, on top of the other outlays made this an easy proposal to turn down.

What if they had said yes? This publisher would have spent millions preparing and maintaining this service, at least 3 years before the market was as ready as it is now! Would they be raking it in? Would they have broken a mold and the  toast of the sector (BETT awards , etc)?

Obviously, that could have happened. Equally, the project could have broken the division.

So, Ewan, you asked for publishers to be brave. I clearly wish that this publisher had been braver, and trusted my judgement. But, there are huge costs for taking risks such as these - and although I might have been right - they did what was right for their business, and was based on their understandings of where teachers were then.

The death of ode, recently, has shown that even ideas that have everything going for them can still be canned by those who job is not about vision - but about immediate business priorities.

My only gripe about this situation in my past, was my brief! I was asked to go away, be innovative and use the research to bring them something different. And when I did so … that wasn’t what they wanted!

So - it is not always enough to know ‘what time it is’  - or to be at one with the Zeitgeist. A good publisher/commissioner in a large business must be able to synthesise the innovative with the needs of the conservative. This is almost always a fudge! Ewan might counter that smaller businesses, start-ups, can move faster- but someone still has to front the money!

So - unless the state funds resources, we are stuck with a publishing sector that will always be conservative and quite a long way behind the times.

In a future post, I will share another anecdote about  truly valuable resource that was crushed by corporate lawyers - and is now lost to teachers.

DS and midnight snack

Up till now, our 3 year old had tinkered with our DS consoles , but not really ‘got it’ - the objectives of the games just beyond her.

Fueled by chocolate and a midnight feast in a tent in the garden last week, it all clicked - Super Mario made sense - and she was hooked.

What changed? How is it that by her fourth attempt, the idea of ‘playing a game’ on this machine made sense to her? What did she get that she didn’t before?

Even a casual glance over the research around games and learning gives answers about immediacy of feedback and rewards, paced and incremental challenges, and opportunities to play with consequences without personal harm!

But, what is still harder to identify is how and when the moment of ‘immersion’ happens. She was IN the game - and those of us who have been playing games all our lives ( I started with snake on a PET machine in the mid 80s) recognise this as defining aspect of gaming.

Kids are programmed to engage in imaginative play - but videogaming is different - and requires a commitment to the play space that most 3 year olds could not sustain in a ‘real’ game in our shared reality. But in a virtual space - with sometimes the most frustrating interfaces - children break through - and want to stay.

Watching this happen to my own kid has had a profound effect on me - raising all sorts of questions about how I will deal with questions about suitability and length of time spent playing games. But more than that - it has made me wonder what my brain does when in a game-space - and how it has contributed to my cognitive abilities and character. Do I learn, think, create better because of my immersion in games?

I think so - but what will it do my daughter? Time will tell.