The SSAT conference will see the launch of a new programme to support teachers as co-learners with their students
The notion that we are all learners – and that includes teachers too – lies at the heart of the Toshiba Digital Leaders programme which will be launched at the annual Specialist Schools and Academies Trust Conference, "21st Century Schooling: Excellence for All", at the International Convention Centre in Birmingham (November 24-26).
Building on and developing the ideas of Kristian Still, assistant headteacher at Hamble College, Southampton, and Daniel Stucke, acting assistant head at Stretford High School,Trafford, teachers already involved in the programme are developing their ICT skills and pupils are developing their own leadership skills.
The pilot work that the programme is building on involved the recruitment and selection of interested and motivated pupils from both schools. They are provided with Toshiba netbooks, a network for support and training, and a brief to provide leadership in the use of digital technologies in their schools and their wider communities too.
Pupils have been “mentoring” teachers and supporting staff training and development, helping to raise teachers awareness of the potential use of mobile and wireless technologies for learning. “Teachers learning with and from pupils is proving to be very effective,” said Daniel Stucke
While Marc Prensky's notion of “Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants” has had a mixed reaction from some educationists, the early indications from the pilot scheme of the “Digital Leaders” programme suggests that both pupils and teachers benefit when they are co-learners. And it's an idea that has currency across other leadership groups supported by forward thinking corporates.
For example it was well expressed by US education leader Tom Carroll at the recent inaugural meeting of Education Fast Forward, which is supported by Promethean and Cisco. “We need to transform schools from teaching places into learning places," he said. "And you don't do that one teacher at a time; you do that by creating learning teams, that are like health-care teams, that have a differentiated composition of knowledge and skills to create a learning environment. And by the way, the students are members of the learning team. They are not served by the learning team; they are active, participating members... We've got teaching factories; we need learning organisations.”
Stretford students met business leaders at King's College, Cambridge
The pilot for the Toshiba Digital Leaders programme has already been extended to a family of schools by Kristian Still, and the Digital Leaders of Stretford High School spent a day at Kings College, Cambridge presenting to business leaders.
“We are really pleased with how the digital leaders programme has developed since I first brought the idea from the USA,” said Kristian Still. “It has also given us the opportunity to work with other schools with the support of the Vital programme.”
The launch of the Stretford High School Digital Leaders programme was a real family affair for the students of Stretford and Lostock schools. “It was fantastic to see the interest of the parents in the digital leaders programme and the Toshiba netbooks have proved to be a real family resource,” said Daniel Stucke. “The feedback from teachers in both schools has also been very positive.”
Toshiba is also pleased by the progress. “The way the pupils have reacted to this initiative has been inspirational,” said Len Daniels, head of public sector at Toshiba Information Systems.
“I was part of the selection and interview process for the Digital Leaders and you could not fail to be impressed by the enthusiasm and commitment of these young people and their understanding of the potential digital technologies have for their learning.”
The Digital Leaders programme, supported by Toshiba and the SSAT, will be opened to all schools at the workshop on Thursday November 25 at the ICC in Birmingham at the SSAT Conference.
Links
Digital Leaders blog
Kristian Still's blog
Daniel Stucke
Trafford College coverage of Digital Leaders
Lostock College/Stretford High Digital Leaders blog
Toshiba Education
