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I wrote recently about a project I did with iPods, mobile phones and Year 8. It wasn’t an entirely successful venture, but not a complete failure either. My main aim was to engage Year 8 more with their Chinese language learning, and I don’t think that happened. They liked using the iPods and phones, but that didn’t get them to create any more or any better quality work. This has really made me think about what I’m doing and why.

It is becoming a bit of a cliche, but I’ll say it anyway – the technology is only a tool. We really need to be thinking much more deeply about the quality of the content we are working on with the kids. The content is paramount to motivation and no matter how fun the technology is, the kids will still get bored if they aren’t interested in the content. Introducing technology will not magically engage kids – well, it might for the first couple of classes, but the novelty will wear off and they will see through it all!

I have found that students still want lots of teacher direction, but they are still very quick to criticise when something is boring. Sometimes that is a bit confusing as to what they really want, and I have had the impression from a couple of my classes this year that no matter what is put in front of them, or what they get to choose, they still aren’t going to be interested. Admittedly, the two classes I have in mind have not only been difficult for me, but other teachers as well. Our Year 7 class has turned their noses up at many things – complaining about having to do Voicethreads and big deal about a video conference with Manila. A few of them even asked their English if they should be learning how to read and write more!

I think the big thing for me to realise is that it is not only the staff who often need to be ‘convinced’ that this technology is great and can have huge impact on our students, but the kids need to be shown explicitly what the benefits are for them too.

I have asked him in a couple of ensuing conversations about the technology they have, what they like to use and the fact that they don’t use any of it in class. This particular student, who calls himself Jefferson, really likes to make videos with his friends and would love to make some for classes, but that is never an option.

Here, for your viewing pleasure, is the music video they made. I would love to get hold of his class for a few weeks and really see what creative things these kids could come up with. It’s all got me thinking about doing research on educational technology in China. Ah, where to start!

Here are some notes on what we asked them and what they answered:

When asked if they would or do put more effort into blog posts because they have a global audience they said they would and that blogging is a way of communicating to everyone.

There was a great conversation about exams and their relevance. The kids were saying that they wanted an overall grade about how they progressed – not final exams. They didn’t feel that this showed what they could really do.

“There has to be a point in me learning it
When am I going to need this in life?”

We asked how do you know that the information you find on the internet is correct? – well, that’s where teachers will come in. Teachers having blogs will help a lot. The kids were saying that they need to know how to search and need to know the real life applications. These students were saying how they make sure they comparing resources – as it is much easier to get more information from several resources

Some advice from the kids on how to encourage kids to engage with technology outside of class -
Film making and blogging are good places to start.

How would you like to be assessed? –

This was my favourite part of the conversation. Being as into technology as we are, all us teachers were expecting something like ‘get us to make movies’ or ‘get us to blog’ or anything like that. But no, the kids came up with the most simple answer that really does make a lot of sense:

“Just have a chat to us.”
We said “Oh you mean like IM?”
“No, just face to face. Just have a chat to us to see what we know.”

Who’ve thought?! They just want us to talk to them!

Having real conversations as assessment tasks – how on earth do you assess this?! Jabiz had a great idea – record a converation with the students, then get them to edit the conversation and hand in an ‘audio essay’ for their final record of learning and assessment for a unit. Great idea!

I really appreciated having a chat to these kids. They had a lot to tell us – not that there weren’t things we didn’t already know about what many kids thought, but it was great to be reminded of those perspectives in the middle of a conference about education. After all, the kids are what we are all about.

The tweets I was sending out during this session (in reverse chronological order!):

kids: in class if there is something you want to hear – you will listen
02:24 PM September 20, 2008
from twhirl

kids: class need to be relaxed – silence invites talking!
02:23 PM September 20, 2008
from twhirl

kids: class need to be relaxed – silence invites talking!
02:23 PM September 20, 2008
from twhirl

kids: exams not real – you write your answers then it’s given to someone who doesn’t know you
02:19 PM September 20, 2008
from twhirl

kids emphasising the point that there has to be a point to what they are learning! imagine that!
02:19 PM September 20, 2008
from twhirl

assesing kids via f2f conversation or with IM
02:18 PM September 20, 2008
from twhirl

kids saying that real conversation would be great assessment task
02:17 PM September 20, 2008
from twhirl

@israelgreg if something is not effective then is it really innovative?
02:17 PM September 20, 2008
from twhirl
in reply to israelgreg

damn – typing too quickly! interactiVe
01:53 PM September 20, 2008
from twhirl

kids: the biggest thing you can do is make it interactice
01:53 PM September 20, 2008
from twhirl

kids: do something that is interactive – anyone got any questions for 3 international kids about techn in classrooms?
01:48 PM September 20, 2008
from twhirl

kids: most boring lessons are when you are told to read pages and do questions – make it interactice
01:48 PM September 20, 2008
from twhirl

kids: sending private messages through games – something that accessible at home
01:48 PM September 20, 2008
from twhirl

kids: making class more interactive with games please!
01:47 PM September 20, 2008
from twhirl

this session is asking kids about what really does engage them…
01:46 PM September 20, 2008
from twhirl

question to 3 kids about how overwhelmed they feel – talk about homework timetables
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• comparison of recycling systems

• comparison of education and curriculum as far as leaving school and being prepared for work goes

• response to natural disasters

• introducing AFL football to the local community

• fresh produce and the local market system

to name a few! The students have picked some great things to research. Of course they will learning a bit of Chinese along the way too.

Each day we will start with a short Chinese lesson to give the students enough language to get them through the everyday things, and then they will be working on their projects, going to classes and possibly meeting up with some students who will help them with their Chinese.

I just can’t wait to see the expressions on these kids faces when they get to Shanghai! Most of these kids have rural backgrounds, and most of them have never been on a plane before. We went to Melbourne two weeks ago for an official launch of the program and it was for many of them, only the second or third time they had even been to Melbourne. And they’re getting off a plane in Shanghai! This will be fantastic. Join us for the ride!

I’ll be keeping two blogs while we are in China – this one which will focus more on my personal reflections and how I’m using technology with the kids while we are away, and technoChinese which will be more of a diary and will have more detail as to what is happening with the kids on a day to day basis. technoChinese is also the blog my students back at Hawkesdale will be reading.

I am hoping to be uploading photos to Flickr, but that depends on it bing blocked or not. If it is then hopefully Slideshare is working or something else!We’ve been told that we have the use of a computer lab which will be great. I’m hoping to be able to get an internet connection in my room. I’ve brought two computers with me – my MacBook and  little Asus EeePC which I am using right now to write this post into an Open Office.org Writer document. I’ve got my mobile phone (a Nokia E51) which I won’t be using with a Chinese SIM card, but can still use the audio, video and bluetooth functions on. I’ve brought my old phone to be one of the hopefully several mobile phones we have that will work with Chinese SIMs in them. I told the kids they had to get their phones unlocked from their networks, but for some this was too expensive, so we are going to make do with a few old phones that are hopefully no network-locked! See how we go. I’m also doing some of my own research by getting the kids here in China to take photos with their phones and send them to my Year 8 class in Hawkesdale. More on that later.

So, there you go – or there I go really! We’re on our way to China – though, we’ll be there by the time you read this! – and ready for the adventure of a lifetime.

What should we stop doing? What should we start doing? What should we keep doing?

I’d be really interested to hear your thoughts.