This video is one of the first case studies from Crown Fibre Holdings to paint a picture of how ultra-fast broadband in schools can positively impact on teachers' and students' learning.
Russell Burt, Principal of Point English Primary School, paints a powerful picture of the opportunities inherent in the fibre roll-out.
Point England Primary School from CrownFibreCaseStudies on Vimeo.
This is an inspiring video to watch. Point England School has been on an incredible journey over a long period of time. They have strong belief in the needs and abilities for their children and have undergone some rigorous research and stenghtened partnerships with the wider community to enable their vision for learning to come to life.
As well as the considerations for broadband access and the budget for a data plan - are there other things that need to be considered too? For example, is it enough to get fibre to the school, or are there other factors to consider - in terms of upgrades to the school network, computer ratios, flexible learning environments? Would the impact of UFB also be linked to classroom environments and teaching strategies that respond to more connected, interactive, social opportunities for learning?
Recently I visited an intermediate school where two teachers had done some extensive reseach into how their classroom environments portrayed their contructivist, collaborative vision for learning. As a result of their findings, they exchanged desks for interlocking circular tables, and changed the layout of the classroom - including where the dataprojector could be viewed and acessibility of ICTs (desktops, laptops). I haven't managed to follow-up on recent outcomes of this, but short-term observations showed a much busier, noisy, interactive and social classroom environment.
I'm wondering if any other schools are making changes in terms of classroom layout (flexible learning space), access to ICTs (including those with special learning needs) while getting ready for the fibre roll-out?
http://www.core-ed.org/about/Our-future-depends-on-participation-through-internet-connectivity
http://tvnz.co.nz/technology-news/nz-taking-lead-in-classrooms-future-3674120
http://edorigami.wikispaces.com/21st+Century+Learning+Spaces