N4L

In New Zealand education policy, the failure of Talent2 and the Ministry of Education to build and deliver the Novopay payroll system has been widely covered in the media. This failure occurred for a number of technical and contractual reasons, many of which have been laid out in reviews. The recently released Ministerial inquiry lays the blame for failure in a range of places. But in reading some of the timeline details, and the technical review I got the sense that during the process, failure was not tolerated or accepted. ...

Or Dell. Or Yahoo. Or Facebook. Or Google. I wrote most of this post last November, but I was reminded of it today, after reading this article The Future of Education? First ‘Samsung School’ in Canada Opens. I joked about opening a Yates school, but maybe it’s not a joke anymore. How long before the naming rights of schools determine how a school operates and how students are taught. I had the privilege of attending the NZOS Awards this week. Hosted by the erudite and engagingly droll Toby Manhire, and brought to you mainly by the word “bats hit”. I was there as part of the group eqnz group, who were nominated in two categories: People’s Choice and Open Source in Social Services. The award in Social Services went to the SoupHub and WCC’s Housing Computer Hubs, both worthy winners. ...

“If a measurement matters at all, it is because it must have some conceivable effect on decisions and behaviour. If we can’t identify a decision that could be affected by a proposed measurement and how it could change those decisions, then the measurement simply has no value” Douglas W. Hubbard Do we do this enough in education? Honestly and rigorously identify the decisions that could be affected by a proposed measurement. ...

We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us. - Marshall Mcluhan : Understanding Media, 1964 The Ministry of Education is starting their roadshows about the Network for Learning. I’ve been reading a few things about this new initiative, and reading frustrations expressed by some in schools about the ongoing UFB initiative and the issues around implementing that technology. I’ve also heard some ugly stories of demanding educators harrassing providers. As a friend in the industry said, it wasn’t the complaint itself, it was the sense of demanding entitlement from said educators. ...

SPOILER: I’m conscious this post may cause people to tell me I’m wrong. I’m OK with that. Please comment from your perspective, and your expertise. In that horrible way of education, the soon to be inaugurated Network for Learning, is known by the shorthand: N4L. Because, you know, it’s for the kids. Or possibly, it’d get sued by the National Football League for using the obvious acronym. ...