learning with technology

一埸世紀疫情，令到香港教育界面臨另一次範式轉移 (Paradigm shift) 。 教育界上一次範式轉移，是大約 2000 年的資訊科技革命，香港政府撥出大量資源替中小學添置 server 系統，建立電腦室和加設 IT 技術員管理 Server 和電腦室。但範式轉移只是令到 PowerPoint 教學普及化，和隨著科技普及而建立的校園電視台，科技教學相關的教學法卻沒有深入探討。隨後撥款用完，加上中小學面對公開考試排名的壓力，範式轉移亦歸於平淡，可喜是班房添置了投影機、電腦、電子白板等科技，埋下了全面提升老師和學生資訊科技能力的種子，和孕育了科技輔助面對面教學的習慣。總結第一次範式轉移經驗，資訊科技滲入班房擔當了輔助的角色，教師面對面授課仍然是主導。 二十年後的今日，因為世紀疫情，二月開始中小學停課，為免學生追不上課程進度，各學校紛紛推行所謂 “ eLearning ” , 香港教育界進入第二次範式轉移。 這個範式轉移是突然出現，殺了學校管理層和教師一個措手不及。 面對新形勢，教師累積了多年專業訓練，引以為傲的面對面課堂授課專業，變成無可發揮此路不通的方法。積聚了二十多年的科技輔助面對面教學的 模式 ，變成教師學生不能面對面溝通的局面，無可選擇下唯有運用資訊科技遙距授課。但很多人卻形容這種方法為 e L earning 。 為何運用資訊科技遙距授課不是 e L earning 呢 ? e Learning 可說是本世紀最讓人混亂的詞語。任何人只要放一些資料上網，就聲稱規劃落實了 eLearning 。最近停課的日子，由教育局到學校都建議老師進行 eLearning, 令到學生停課不停學。 回顧 eLearning 的文獻，經常出現的句子包括 “Learning beyond classroom” “Learning anytime anywhere” 以上句子，基本假設學生有學習動機，不用受困於固定上課時間和地點，運用科技自主學習，是從學生的角度出發。 所謂 eLearning, 其實是通過資訊科技讓學生學習，香港過往十年都是中庸之道混合科技輔助面對面授課，稱之 blended mode 或 blended learning 。鐘擺一邊是完全面對面班房授課，另一邊是完全在線網上學習。...

Hong Kong people are having hot debate on building a great railway costing 68 billion. The so called Post 80 (those born after 80') strongly against the railway as it is too expensive and not necesary. Stephen Heppell, famous ICT scholar, gave a speech about Learning at 2016, mentioned that a few years ago UK built a perfect railway but however, people brought their own cars. Stephen mentioned our school is same as the railway, mobile learning is having great breakthrough on learning while we still regard our school as a perfect railway. Part of Stephen's speech is attached as some hints about railway, school and the pattern of post 80 learning. Full version of Stephen speech http://www.teachers.tv/video/4957

Back to my notebook and continue my sharing. Actually it is not purely about iTouch, it is about iTunes. Last month I met a friend using iPhone, but seldom use iTunes. He is losing a great fruitfull learning resources for connecting to huge resources of learning materials. From iTunes, you can access US site and then iTunes U. In the iTunes U, you will find that a lot of World top Unveristies has created a lot of free audio or video learning materials there, including Oxford, MIT, Open U etc. If you subscripe those audo or video learning materials, those newly produced episodes will automaticaly download to your computer. You do not need to go to that sites, the materials go to your computer instead. Out of your expectation, RTHK has uploaded a lot of programmes in iTunes U of US site, you can then subscribe RTHK with your iTunes. The most amazing part is that the iTunes software is free for download. You do not need to buy any i-pod/iTouch/iPhone, you can use iTunes in your PC. Of cou...