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1 March 2012 play and experiment with the content and the reading. This pointed out that learning must be meaningful. The significance of her experience reinforced the fact that literature has a relevance across time and place. She pointed out that an analysis of literary works involved drawing comparisons with contemporary politics. This allowed the learners to see relevance and universality. Such an excited learning experience made the work come alive to the learners. The literary work also became an interesting medium; allowing learners to observe the world around them from a new perspective. Nunis speech underlined the fact that learning must be contextual, relevant and meaningful. John Bellam from Varsity college then went on to explain the technological revolution in education. He called this eclectic approach blended learning. Blended learning is the use of a complex system of diverse resources. These come into play in a learning experience. He listed lots of valuable tools that could be used in blended learning. These tools are used extensively to collaborate. Some tools that have started to be used are: YouTube, Twitter, Face book, Chat rooms, Blogs, Google translate, Google documents, brains, cell phones, pencil etc. These technological tools are being blended and creatively incorporated and integrated into education. Our society evolves and education will not be able to hold back its subjects into an ancient mould. So teachers need to embrace and incorporate the digital age. John mentioned that some teachers used cell phones in lessons. There use in schools needs to be explored. He indicated that learners use technology to capture knowledge, manage and compile relevant content. Often this is done with

Thanks for all those interesting points on the conference. I just jotted far too many of my own thoughts. Could not think so ended just writing endlessly, from my notes. You will need to excuse the poor grammar, spelling etc. All the speakers offered up models to show what an ideal teacher ought to be. Nuni spoke of a teacher that made Shakespeare real. John Ballam said teachers should become explorers. The ideal: being like the fictional adventurer Indiana Jones in the temple of doom. Professor Jansen used his own parents as an example. This demonstrated the importance of having strong values. Some valuable points were indicated. I am sure that there are many points that I have not picked up on. I have highlighted my most important points in brown. The links below will save you having to read through endless notes.

Innovation in Education
The morning session kicked off with an interesting topic i.e., Innovation in Education. The first discussion comprised a panel of three speakers. Each of the speakers came into the discussion from different perspectives. Their points were grounded in their specialist areas and interests. Nuni initiated discussion on roleplaying and drama. Shakespeare and English literature became the basis of elaborating her position. The basis of her position was that content needs to be contextualized and relevant to the current generation. Nuni spoke from her own personal experience... relating how she had come to take a part in a Shakespearian production. She compared current issues in SA politics to the underlying themes in What Ado about Nothing. In this Shakespearian production the context was a contemporary South African setting. This context allowed the learners to

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1 March 2012 character could be used to represent the prototypical teacher. Therefore this new teacher should have an adventurous character. This film character is the typical adventurous explorer searching for hidden treasures and magical artefacts. Colin Northmore pointed out the importance of connecting with learners. Teachers needed to be caring and engaged. A suitable teachers personality would allow learners to explore the exciting world of learning. We ought to make learners explore the classroom (life) and enrich themselves in different and relevant ways. Too many people assume that technology will make children work. Colin mentioned that to use technology in a creative way though it needed educators to direct, plan, explore and learn about its possibilities. Such an approach opened a new creative aspect into education. The Sacred Heart college focuses strongly on developing creativity in its students. He mentioned that a visitor to his college will find learners constructing fairly sophisticated applications. He indicated that some of these applications had been built as early as Grade 7. The school places great importance on becoming creators. Therefore all forms of creation form an important aspect of educational practice at the Sacred Heart College. One must realize: with such a focus collaboration becomes very important. On top of this the overall projects with this type of focus involve five times more work. These applications are then utilized (reinvested) into learning and teaching. This stage of education is the most exciting, particularly for the educator. There is nothing more satisfying than seeing a built product (result) becoming the learning tool. He described how marvellous education is becoming. Such joy it is... seeing learners mastering learning i.e., by developing products or applications designed to aid learning and teaching.

learners collaborating in teams. Such collaborative teams encouraged learners to contribute with some form of skill. Team collaboration means learners are expected to bring some type of value into the process. This is very exciting for educators: learners are able to direct and make relevant and valuable content. Therefore the new educational paradigm has shifts towards creative work. In some cases content involves acting parts as was mentioned in Nunis presentation. The collaborative tools allow learners to create and direct content. They also are conducive to developing personal learning networks. Such social networks allow children to explore topics of interest. The principal of Sacred heart college (Colin Northmore) spoke fondly of his learners. He indicated that technology was valuable but did not solve all problems. He cited that technology sometimes does not work. An example was the network being down. A further problem in a country like SA is the divide between those with tools (resources) and those without (the digital divide). A further reality is the vast poverty in our population. [1] [1.] Poverty: What is poverty? This is the quality of being poor and in want. Most of South Africa are without enough money to live comfortably. This has a direct relation to the resources that are incorporated into education. Tools are the implements used to carry out mechanical functions. The function behind education being the acquisition of skills, knowledge, values &c. This can be done by hand or by machine. Thus we are talking about the production of knowledge and skills. In many schools basic needs like food and shelter are the more fundamental problems needing to be addressed. Motivation But he offered up an archetype for the audience. John said that the ideal teacher should be like Indiana Jones. This film

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1 March 2012 in the good book i.e., bound up neatly in the pages of Genesis chapter.3. The righteous Sara and Abraham of Cape Towns Retreatbrought up Jonathan in the right way. Professor Jansen reiterated the point: this upbringing was in spite of the surroundings and social ills of Retreat. He described his parents as strong almost fundamental- Christians. They were uncompromising towards anything that encroached on strong family values. On top of this set of values: his parents laid tremendous value on learning. Our professor spoke of the beautiful Afrikaans word geleerentheid. And so thus it came: our learned professor carries with him a core set of values. As we understand: these will be carried throughout his life. He now came to another point. The time in his speech was right. So let me tell you of his next pertinent question: What do SA schools need? He indicated that this was leadership. Children need adults that set an example. Educators need to develop standards as standards of excellence are expected. He pointed out the poor example that was set by political leaders in our country. He mentioned that poor, ineffective leaders are not taken seriously. The way children see you will answer the following question: How much of a leader are you? Educators are giving and receiving overt and hidden messages. What type of message do you give the learners? How does your message impact on the way learners feel about themselves? If you expect bad behaviour, you will get just that. If you are expecting poor academic results it will be forthcoming too. Poor teachers have low expectations. He cited that often these expectations are tainted with the typical prejudices, ingrained within our own particular social setting.

He mentioned that we have experienced four years of changes and bungling in education. He pointed out that educational change needs to be given more time. WHY POOR SCHOOLS DO WELL (Professor J Jansen) Prof Jansen is a renowned educationalist. He holds the position as rector of the University of the Orange Free State. It is in this position that he has come to be known. His name was spoken of extensively in the media. Most of all because he was involved in settling the racial tensions that surrounded the University of the Orange Free State. (See particularly the Reitz issue). Professor Jansen claims that the problem in education stems from two areas. These are the lack of decency and academic excellence. He went on telling us about shocking levels of teenage pregnancies in some schools He added to this point that many schools are experiencing intolerable levels of violence. He claims that these are symptoms of a level of degeneration in SA institutions of learning. The Professor now gave us a short autobiographical sketch of his upbringing. His youth in the back streets of Retreat was used as content to make his next point. The point being: economical deprivation leaves no excuse for lack of decency; nor an excuse to neglect academic excellence. Our Prof indicated that Retreat falls into the rough and tough suburbs of the Cape Flats. His upbringing was desirable in undesirable surroundings. The Cape flats he describedis abounding in social poverty and social deterioration. Professor Jansen let us in on his parents. The audience were astonished and struck by his parents names. His mother is named Sara. His father holds the name of the patriarch, Abraham. Both these characters are prominent

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1 March 2012 spoke of should not be confused with charismatic leadership. This is the type of leadership that is all about attracting supporters. The leadership in the schools should be shared and distributed. Leadership involved the full body of teachers. He underlined his point by saying the body of leadership -from top to bottom- needs to be clearly visible. The nature of leadership is not individual but is incorporated in the whole group. Such leadership characterized schools with high standards. Such schools had a fundamental set of core values in place. Routines are extremely important. In prof Jansens studies he found some schools floundering. Many schools were routineless institutions; routines were routinely missing from these schools working. Schools that were successful had clear definable routines. He punctuated the fact that routines should characterise the home life of children too. The programmes and regularity of routines in schools provide the very basis for success. He stated that routines provide the guiding principles that allow schools to do well. Prof Jansen mentioned a visible leader that had made a big impact in his life. This individual was Brian Isaacs. Mr Brian Isaacs served as principal of South Peninsula High School in Diep River since 1984. This man was always on time. He had routines that would not be compromised on. We need to have high expectations. He mentioned that we must take our learners seriously. It is important to gauge the message that we are giving children. The message that we give reflects often how children see themselves. He then spoke of how the standards in schools had become compromised. He took a swipe at Math Literacy: it being an example. He asked, What does this say about us? Professor Jansen mentioned that there was a general lack of knowledge in SA educators. An example was cited in which numerous teachers were made to write the end of year

Jansen urged us to love all the children that we teach. Expect good to come from the learners. We were urged to not compromise on the highest of expectations. Take children seriously and more so the important work that you are engaging in. The prof showed us an interesting slide of a University of OVS rugby match. The slide showed a black girl running onto the field in front of a young white player. He asked the audience: What is happening in the picture? Through this activity we had an opportunity to gauge deep ingrained expectations. Some of the educators thought that the picture showed a point of confrontation. Being educators, many looked at the picture more critically. Finally the story behind the picture was unfolded. The picture showed a jubilant fan celebrating a try. The frame shows the moment after a try had been scored. The black lady ran onto the field; she gave the white player a passionate kiss. This photograph may have seemed to play a somewhat unimportant part of prof Jansens speech. But the exercise allowed the audience to look at themselves. The photograph shows the changes that are taking place in our country. Through the photograph prof Jansen allowed us to look at our own perspectives on matters. It also demonstrated how SA has changed. There are a number of problems that are found in education. Many educators are inconsistent. There needs to be consistency. Educators should provide a hard and soft hand dealt according to the particular needs of the learners. We should demand and be uncompromising in expecting discipline. He went on stating that respect should be expected at all times. Children need the hard hand of discipline. Decency is imperative and is a requirement for learners to succeed. Solutions lie in: the leadership of the school. The professor indicated that leadership always needs to be clearly visible. The leadership he

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matriculation examination. These papers had been designed for our matriculants. A shocking number of the teachers did not pass the examination. This point emphasized a lack of drive. There was no energy and a weak will to learn. This part of the speech underlined the importance of enriching oneself. For such an endeavour is a necessary attribute which enabled a person to teach. Professor Jansen underlined that schools need to be uncompromising... in terms of standards. A school that stuck out in its academic achievements is based in Khayletsha in the Western Cape. This school had got into the top grouping in the matriculation examinations despite a clearly visible lack of affluence.

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1 March 2012 to honour and esteem. She cited a famous quote by the philosopher Plato: What we honour will be valued and upheld in the state. She challenged all the educators to think about the core values that lay behind education. She asked: What is it to teach? Knowledge in all its various aspects- is important. Knowledge provides the basis on which to alleviate poverty and corruption. This core element of teaching was strongly emphasized. She maintained that education ought to be an intellectual pursuit. Another interesting phrase Meg used in her speech was that we ought to grow in personhood. She stated that the nature of being a person involved growing in personhood. Such a notion is based on cultivating yourself as a person. Any involvement in such an endeavour is all about the cultivation of goodness. This is a lifelong process with much work. Discussion moved on to the methodology of self-development. During this point of the speech she encouraged educators to find traditions that could be returned to. She stated: When developing yourself, time is to be valued. For to cultivate ourselves, we need time. Time is needed to develop moral and intellectual capacities.

WHAT IS YOUR TEACHING PHILOSOPHY? This part of the day involved us in the selfreflective aspects of being an educator. The more philosophical speaker asked, What type of teacher are you? She indicated that teachers ought to reflect on their stories. Such stories involved ups, downs, successes and failures &c. Through this profession we are forever influencing in some way. By way of teaching we are effecting the lives of our learners. The nature of who we are as people has a bearing on how we affect children. This makes it imperative for teachers to have and develop a strong moral sensibility. Meg Fargher continued by describing how traditions are the past collection of practise. Such a body of knowledge can really enrich us. Behind this core body of knowledge lies the essence of educative practice. She mentioned that throughout the historical collection of works on education you will constantly read about developing human qualities. There is constantly an emphasis of direction or goal driven work. Through these works we can read of the interpretation and significance of teaching. Meg challenged all educators to explore the moral heart of teaching. This moral heart involves the integrity of the person. Behind the a moral heart lies various methods. These methods explore the practice of enriching various human qualities. She indicated that the 20th century had spent more money on education than all the preceding periods. Yet in this era the most costly wars (wasteful in terms of human life and resources) were fought. I wondered: Is Meg saying: these horrendous wars underscored a misdirected and misguided education system? Meg Fargher argued that there was a need to incorporate strong values into our educational practice. Such an incorporation would give us more scope to question ourselves. By being more critical as thinkers, we would know what

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1 March 2012 For positive changes to take place, resilience will be demanded of educators. She indicated that there are a number of positive messages. Communication More educators need to be engaged in plans to tackle the problems. She urged educators to get involved in the broader discussion on educational issues. A greater involvement in the educational discourse in SA schools- was needed. She continued with the point by stating that more involvement from educators needs to be incorporated in the public debate. Many educators know what should be talked about. However these parties have not engaged the issue. The message needs to be put out; this message will show what is being done well. She concluded by stating: What is honoured in the state will be propagated, promoted and practiced. There needs to be a greater input from educators to shape the fabric of education.

Jane Godsall. THE ACTIVE CITIZEN It is the creativity of the past that makes the future. It is in the creativity of the current that lies in the past. Such an understanding allows us as educators- to see that we are in the activity of making the future. The community that we live in needs to be more aware of what teachers do. There is a strong need to build strong bonds with the surrounding communities. Schools should include parents in the education of their children. An example of a school was cited. In Mrs Godsalls speech an example of illiterate parents becoming involved in a homework support programme was given. Such an opportunity allowed the participants to listen and converse with different people. The dialogue with different people allows us to gauge a greater level of understanding. It is important for the community to feel that they are part of the school. By this the community is able to see what is happening and get involved. Through allowing the community to see what we do in schools we can gather greater support. Such approaches confront the negative publicity which the teaching profession- receives in the media. She stated that skills were needed to confront the negative news being projected onto education. Someone needs to direct the media towards seeing and writing; the focus should turn to our successes and the more positive educational developments and stories. Mrs Godsall asked if anyone had heard the message in Pravin Gordons budget speech. Pravin Gordon is the minister of finance. In this speech Mr Gordon emphasized the foundation for our success. The ministers speech was saying: This foundation of success lies with education. She then went on about what we need to do to counter the way the press is highlighting the dropping standards.

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1 March 2012 wealthier schools have integrated greater technological depth into the practice of teaching and learning. The vast collection of applications that can be used with the I-pad is staggering. There are currently at least 47000 educational applications. In the broad spectrum of general applications we have a few billion. The changes brought in with technology have brought so many differences into the economical workings. There are a whole plethora of jobs that have and will come about. These jobs come into being as the world moves further into the digital age. As this develops, the learning environment becomes more highly integrated with technology. These technological tools give scope to develop the interests and creativity of learners in extraordinary ways. An interesting slide let us look at a medical operating theatre in the early 20th century. This slide was then compared to the current operating theatre. The contrast was clearly evident. The next two slides compared classrooms of the same period. After looking for a difference we concluded that not that much difference could be seen in the classroom of the early 20th century and that of the contemporary period. I wondered if youd see that much of a difference had he shown us the operating system in a third world country. I wondered if the same levels of contrast would have been exposed in pointing out the differences in classrooms in the most affluent school in SA. And there obviously has been some transformation since Apartheid died. Preparation A change in the way teachers prepared their work was taking place. The Smart teacher is more likely needing to plan a lot more time to prep. However during the lessons the manipulation of technological tools allowed less direct exposure to traditional (in your face) teaching. The changes inspire children as they are given greater scope to do and are encouraged to be active.

Arthur Goldstruck (Techno guru) and the classroom of the future. Arthur Goldstruck is a well known personality. He has built up a name writing about gadgets and the general use of technology. A few slides of a Randburg school was shown; the pictures showed children using tablets (I-pads) in their classroom. The photo was explained by an educator from the school. Mr Goldstruck then looked at visions of the future classroom. He showed two pictures. They compared an eclectic system with to a fully automated system. The eclectic system integrated computer, teacher, whiteboard and current trends into a blended learning environment. He pointed out that so many schools are using laptops. An interesting feature of the use of technology are the virtual teams often grouping around some form of school work. Thus learners were coordinating and collaborating using laptops. Such collaborative work is not extensively rigid or formal in nature. At the point in time the old is meeting with the new. This era called for involved teachers who wanted to explore. Such individuals must be interested in utilizing new tools that are upon us. He indicated that such a teacher is termed the smart teacher. The Smart Teacher Learners are aware of the power inherent in technology. Therefore the use of such resources is innovative and inspiring. A number of slides showed us learners playing games. These games were developed to enhance the counting of numbers. In this particular instance the I-pad was the tool being used. This photograph showed learners working in groups of two or three individuals. A new approach is often needed... when new technology comes into the school system. Mr Goldstruck indicated that the I-pad was a tool presently being used in scores of classrooms. Therefore we place the I-pad as a contemporary tool. It is not in the future of the classroom. Obviously the elite and more

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1 March 2012 fact hard work. He backed this point up by highlighting the author, Malcolm Gladwells book. In Outliers Gladwell expostulates the value of practice. Gladwell writes about the productive use of time in developing some type of mastery or skill (10000 hrs). Adam spoke of how certain gamers had contributed towards understanding the nature of an enzyme. You are welcome to read the full article: Gamers break the Enzyme Puzzle. This article is interesting; describing how gamers solved the structure of a retrovirus enzyme. The structure of the retrovirus enzyme configuration had stumped scientists for more than a decade. This he posited as an example of how the skills derived from gamingdeveloped a scientific breakthrough. Taking a critical angle: There are some learners who cannot make a breakthrough because of gaming. But this does not discount either Adams point. It is the way technology is used that gives it credibility and contributes to significance. Gaming involves developing character. In game playing the character played is often called your avatar. This avatar is your person in the game (often called second life). Adam indicated that the game is in fact an act or scenario. In it the player is the active author. The nature of the outcome of the story depends on the strategic input of the gamer. Valuable and tactical responses with collaboration often lead to a positive, satisfactory and conclusive ending. Adam cited an example in which he and a trio of fellow gamers achieved their highest score. This score was due to the collaborative work of a team. An important aspect of gaming is that it teaches one that winning comes through practice. Numerous failed attempts are needed to master the skills to go on to the next level. Many of the usual more traditional board and card games are easily integrated into gaming sessions. Games like monopoly are widely played. Many of the audience would have experienced the value of playing these more traditional games.

Cell phones in the classroom (Robyn Clark and Helen Robertson) Robyn Clark is a high school mathematics teacher. She won the Microsoft innovative teachers award. This was given to her by creatively integrating the cell phone into her Mathematics lessons. Robyn stated that it is important to get an understanding of what the technological possibilities are. This meant that educators needed to explore the possibilities. You need to find what you can, or want to do with the technology. Obviously this is confined to budgetary constraints. She gave an example of a cell phone application that could be used to develop multiple choice questions. She chose using cell phones because they are widely used i.e., almost all children are in possession of a phone. Helen Robertson urged educators to explore the possible useful applications. She gave the audience some examples, which she used. Komodo online was shown, as well as clicker school. Qwizdom was another interesting web-based site that she had used to teach mathematics. Gaming (a Panel Discussion) Games have become widely played by youngsters. It is obvious that gaming does have a great deal to offer educators. Games are rich in content and filled with skills that are often overseen. Debby Edelstein mentioned her concern about her son, Adam, who is a compulsive game enthusiast. She was initially resistant to the value of games. A consultation led Debby to change her position. This consultation pointed out that her son, Adam was developing a whole range of important and valuable skills. She was urged to encourage and promote rather than restrict his access to gaming. Now came the time for her son, Adam to address us. The young gamer, Adam Edelstein confidently explained how gaming had brought great value to his life. He mentioned that hed learnt to cooperate in teams, solve problems, save princesses and strategize effectively. The most compelling value in gaming was the constant feed-back received throughout play. Adam stated that the playing of games is in

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1 March 2012 It is important to encourage the learners to try things and fostering genuine and valuable experience. In this we see the importance of using effective tools to reward, develop and motivate learning. Sizwe mentioned that often games or education create compelling experiences. He gave an example beyond the frame of reference of the typical stereotypical game. A role playing game is the popcorn game. In the popcorn game the quantity of popcorn is unevenly distributed. One or two individuals deliberately take the larger portion of the shared popcorn. After experiencing this unfair sharing discussion ensues. Those dealt an unfair portion play as deprived players- and score by experiencing the emotional jolt of unfairness. Sizwe spoke wonderfully and stated that such a lesson is not easily brought to consciousness. For so many have not experienced such a lesson. On the other hand so many need not play out this game as this is the reality of their daily life.

An interesting game, Farm Production, was mentioned. In this game the player simulates the complexities of running a farm. Such a simulation game allows one to experience the complexities and aspects of running a farm. The value of the game is that it allows you to try out different things. Sizwe took over from Adam. This confident and eloquent youngster pointed out that he had acquired useful skills through gaming. Many of these skills had helped him master his university studies. He went on to describe what tangential learning was. Tangential learning involves making connections. A YouTube video on Tangential learning gives some idea of what that is about. This form of learning is strongly present in game playing. Sizwe gave an example to allow the audience to understand tangential learning. He indicated that he had played a game of trivial pursuit. In the game he came across the name New Orleans. He realized that this was a city where jazz had originated. Later he watched television and saw and heard mention of New Orleans and the Mardi-gras festival. By watching the mardi-gras festival he remembered New Orleans and connected this to jazz. Now his new experience brought Mardi-gras, USA and a new frame of reference. This type of learning manifests itself throughout the gaming experience. When making such connections one has an aha experience. Games are designed around providing constant stimuli with consistent rewards. It is these rewards that helps to keep the learner engaged. In the same way educators need to reward learners through positive reinforcement. Sizwe mentioned how effective some of his teachers were. Many had used the traditional star charts as rewards. These had been stuck to the walls of their classes. Such rewards had made learning effective and rewarding. These symbolic rewards allowed Sizwe to see his own progression and development. Gaming provides similar rewards to the player.

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1 March 2012 I am sure that Mr Keller is clear that this has not changed. For production is the very process of transforming matter into the means of subsistence and the means of production. The very skills and knowledge of our learners will engage in this process for society to perpetuate itself. Education serves the purpose of the broad spectrum of productive and consumptive processes of society. This we can never escape from. We will never break free of this. However, I see his point viz., that the strong industrial focus of the industrial revolution 1800s has lost its mark in educational design. [1] [1] The Industrial Revolution. The major technological, socioeconomic and cultural change in the late 18th and early 19th century resulting from the replacement of an economy based on manual labour to one dominated by industry and machine manufacture. Everything in the post-industrial era schools was built according to rigid, logical systems. These logical systems were rigidly designed in such a way which showed a clear industrial orientation. Such schools were highly regimented; they expected learners to mimic factory workers. Educators were given very specific directions on the most basic of tasks. They ordered and were ordered. The whole system was focussed on obedience and the proverbial sausage machine. Everyone in the education system was taught to follow orders. The aim of the education system was to listen and do. Such an Industrialized educational emphasis were characterized by big classes. Everything was standardized, which meant everyone did everything together, in the same way. Benchmarks characterized this system. [2] [2] A benchmark is a standard by which something can be measured or judged. The least input (financial) was put into education; however the expectation was: derive the highest returns (output). Bells and

Gavin Kellers Keynote speech: School Leadership Gavin bemoaned the fact that schools have a lot of teachers who complain and whinge. Many of these bemoaned the fact that change has happened. They are characterized by wishing for times past. He compared teachers who propagated negativity to ducks that shit everywhere. He feels that schools could do far better; having less of such ducks around. He felt that a more eagle type, teacher suited the new age. Such a teacher would be able to see the vast expanses and the bigger picture. Such an individual would enjoy touching and sharing in the lives of the children that he/she teaches. The ugly contrast would be the duck moaning and fertilizing the corridors; making ugly stains. Gavin indicated that teachers need to look at themselves. Self evaluation needs to be done with great sincerity. He took his speech into the different historical periods in which contemporary education is grounded. He mentioned that often an adjustment was necessary to bridge the various periods. The educational grounding of children and adults was often significantly different. Very often these generationY lack the ability to understand Generation X. The baby boomer generation (60s to 80s) are different to the current generation in some respects. Generation X is the generation following the baby boom. Generation X was brought up with the perspective that schools were designed to make children into productive workers. The typical example of factory workers was displayed on the powerpoint. Because of this focus schools were designed along industrial factory lines. Such schools had desks in lines and were focussed on providing a basic education. Such schools aimed to provide a basic education i.e., reading, writing and arithmetic.

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1 March 2012 especially when the answer is not readily available. The shift has become more about constructing meaning, rather than transmitting meaning. This involves writing it down and sharing it. This involves asking essential questions and making meaning. Often this is defined by technological tools. Todays education often derives understanding by design. Anger should not be a way of disciplining children. He went on by citing examples of how children often try to get the teacher angry. He indicated that it is important to drop your voice when speaking to children. This was the best way of getting the classes attention. Gavin felt that streaming children did not produce effective results. The top learners needed to engage with weak learners. Thus they would be given an opportunity to verbalize their understanding. He emphasized the educational value of engaging effectively especially with different types. This is a skill that would be of great value in the future. Various brain functions come into play in the sexes. Boys are conscious of their masculinity. He stated that it is important to acknowledge this. On the other hand girls want to be adored. Often boys have an inclinitation to let mindless reactive behaviour take over. This type of behaviour is often irrational and unexplainable. How do we motivate learners? School classrooms should be places to delight learners in the experience of learning. Emotional reactions should be elicited to create feelings and passion. Such spaces should not put children down but build and boost. Recognition should be given to anything that is positive, that develops learners.

time scheduling were according to the industrial timekeeping system. This form of industrial education still remains, to some point. Though now it has outlived its lifespan and education is calling for change. There is a call for a new revolutionary education. An education that is more conducive towards developing children; allowing them to cope with the new age. Classrooms today need to be spaces in which everyone is comfortable. The space needs to be appealing, welcoming and free of stress. Gavin likened the ideal class to a coffee shop. Coffee shops are designed to provide optimum customer comfort. He claimed that such a space is what we want. Gavin went on to describe a number of myths that seem to be perpetuated in schools. The Current School (customized) We need to teach for the current generation. We cannot be stuck in the past. The 21st century needs customized schooling. Such schools do work that is tailored towards the learners in the classrooms. Such schools are strong on self-assessment rather than those external judgemental forms. In such schools it is important to always be looking at the strengths and challenges being faced. Together there is a strong orientation to find answers. Such schools are constantly learning as they progress. Gavin Keller has done a lot of work reading on how the brain functions and how such functioning effects learning. He spoke about the differences between boys and girls. These differences often mean that boys and girls react differently in a learning environment. Curiosity grows the brain. Thus Gavin Keller underlined the importance of promoting and cultivating curiosity in learners. An inquiring quality ought to characterize an educator. There has been a shift from having the answer to the process of finding the answer. Learners need to learn skills: They need to know what to do,