Wednesday, January 21, 2015

Management Systems: "How An LMS and BYOD Changed a School" - reflection on reading

I just completed reading Richard Jones' article, "How An LMSand BYOD Changed A School." Times have certainly changed since I graduated high school, or even since I started my teaching career. The old traditional classroom methods are becoming so foreign to our younger generations. But that is not necessarily a bad thing. Not bad for the students, or the teachers for that matter. 

The article refers to the blended method of teacher-led, student-centered learning through technological means. Moodle and personal devices were introduced into the classrooms of The Southport School in Queensland, Australia. Teachers were already integrating technology into the classroom, but this method was going to be a new "multi-way exchange" between teachers and students, and students with their peers. 


At one point, I would have been skeptical of such a bold move. I am guessing many teachers there with a rich history of success over the years would have been skeptical as well. However, this is the direction education is heading (until the next big paradigm shift), and the data supports its benefits. In the end, students were better engaged with the content, appreciated the additional freedoms it brought to the educational process, and were moving more in the direction of autonomous learning. For an educator, these new technologies provide a fresh way to meet the same principles we have valued for many years. 



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