The Educational Technology Action Group presented its first report at BETT2015. Here are some reflections on that report, both positive and negative, that some of you may find useful. I've split my reflections into small groups so that people could check them out in smaller chunks. Below are reflections 1 and 2.
Reflection 1: “ETAG” – REALLY!!
Honestly, I sometimes despair at the British educational establishments never ending requirement to have names such as this. In the US they have the ‘Horizon’ report which seems so simple and explicit – what is coming over the horizon ….
Reflection 2: ETAG Membership
Now don’t get me wrong, I respect, admire and like many of the people on the list of members but where are the real practitioners who could inform the discussion based on the day-to-day realities of school, college and university life? Only the wonderful Dawn Hallybone stands out as someone who really knows what is going on in classrooms. I don’t really know much about the work that Gary Spracklen is doing at IPACA, I had a brief look and it seems to be exciting in terms of Chromebooks, but actually ETAG needed a non-techie who is enthusiastic about technology and leads a school to be in there too.
Prof Stephen Heppell, who Chairs ETAG, is always good for some ‘exciting’ thinking and others such as Diana Laurillard, Peter Twining and Angela McFarlane are clearly deep thinkers with a great track record in proposing thoughtful challenges to education. However, overall I was not ‘wowed’ by the list of names, especially as some lack credibility with staff in schools, colleges and universities who are meant to take up the challenges posed by ETAG.
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