ICTEV 2003 State Conference - Reinvent IT!: Innovating Education

When you think about 'inventors' what comes to mind? The stereotyped image of the bespectacled techno-boffin in a white coat and a funny accent, surrounded by test tubes full of bubbling liquids? The resident garage 'tinkerer'? What about the classroom teacher.

Look at the term 'inventing' itself. Words like innovation, research, experimenting, creating, forefront, leading the way, embracing the new, energising and reflecting are part of the lexicon. Courage can be too. It is possible to even reinvent yourself! One of the benefits, of reaching the end of your fifth decade, is that, while the short term memory fails (where's the car keys, wallet etc), the clarity of events that happened in childhood become amazingly clear. The very first time I managed to swim the full length of an Olympic sized pool (from the relative safety of the shallows to the more intimidating 'deep end') led to a personal reinvention of myself esteem and abilities.

Are there teachers reinventing and innovating their curriculum using Information and Communication Technologies? The promise was made as part of the ACOT program and the Department's Learning Technology Strategy Plan for schools. How far have we come in achieving that promise? As a teacher consultant I have seen some outstanding examples of teachers and schools reinventing their curriculum with the strategic use of webquests and digital portfolios. However I still note that there is a fundamental preoccupation with software programs in a lot of the professional development currently on offer. Perhaps the promise will arrive, when we see more professional development programs on activities such as digital portfolios or scaffolding using ICT and less 'Introduction to Word / FrontPage / PowerPoint / Excel' courses.

The ICTEV 2003 State Conference will explore the issue of reinventing and reinvigorating our curriculum program using ICTs. We want to encourage teachers to attend and share their experiences. We want to see teachers working and collaborating together on exciting student centred curriculum projects that use ICTs in engaging and innovative ways. At the end of the conference we would want teachers to be able to return to their schools with a range of practical and achievable strategies for reinventing student learning.

Here is your chance to be part of a dynamic conference. Let's challenge YOU to strike out for the 'deep end' of the 'ICT in Curriculum Pool'.