Assignment 3.
Scenario:
The towns of north west WA emerge from the red dirt – the soil indicative of the iron ore
that is present. In the early part of the 21st Century families who have tried these towns
left because of the heat, dust, distance from extended family, lack of community
facilities and lack of educational opportunities.
http://www.mining-technology.com/projects/-solomon-hub-iron-ore-mine-western-australia/
In order to reduce this high resident churn factor, school-mine-community partnerships
developed to encourage the establishment of thriving towns, community engagement,
and quality education. Mining companies saw the high labor turnover as a hindrance to
profitable operations and recognized the need to attract and retain a highly skilled and
motivated workforce. This could only be done if the issues of environment, distance,
community and education were addressed.
_____
It is 2063, and communities are now supported with services such as police, hospitals,
doctors and welfare facilities. Regional air travel is fast, flexible, and convenient,
lessening the isolation from families and the facilities of larger centers. Satellite video
communication is the norm for phone contact. Schools are no longer 8.30 – 3.30
facilities, they are centres for community learning and engagement and the resources
are used 24/7 if desired (sports, technology, meetings, interest groups, craft and cultural
pursuits, library access).
These community learning centres are partnered through web technology to become
extensive on-line and interactive learning environments. These “virtual schools”
combine blended learning (classroom plus on-line) and enable the study of subjects that
would not have been realistic or possible (due to resources and teacher specialization)
in the early part of the century … subjects such as drama, music, visual arts, languages,
astronomy, international studies, cultural enrichment, economics, geology, chemistry,
physics, ancient history, marine studies, environmental science.
The students come from a vast array of nations, and there is a strong Australian
indigenous presence in the classrooms, the curriculum, and the community. Most
centres will be hybrids, where students come together for part of the day for face to face
interaction with teachers and other students, yet also very much focused around the
individualized instruction that is computer based. Many lessons will not be taught by
on-site teachers, rather the lesson will be streamed from a central point with classroom
teachers working as learning facilitators within the classroom. Assessment of learning
will provide feedback and identify weaknesses which will be remediated by the
individualized learning process.
This hybrid scenario enables learners to enroll in a vast array of subjects which were
not available under the classroom system of the early part of the century. Subjects can
be specialized, advanced, modified, and area specific. These cyber schools enable
learners to escape the limitations of location, resources, and population.
Practicalities:
The learning centres are relocatable pods, with flexible modular designs that are easily
able to be adapted to the site, climate, and required resources. Prefabricated and
easily transportable, they are made of eco-friendly materials, and are a series of
interlocking clusters … various configurations enable the modules to adapt to changing
class sizes and student needs.
They have louvered windows to adapt to heat/lighting/shade requirements, each module
has its own air conditioning unit, and wide covered verandah areas to provide shelter
from both the heat and the wet season.
The typical school/community learning centre has physical facilities such as:
Large classrooms
Extensive library and technology centre
Indoor and outdoor sports facilities shared with the community
Commercial grade kitchen
Science/experiments centre
Meeting rooms (size can be varied with bifold/sliding doors)
Administration centres where the school/community activities are coordinated
“Hands on” rooms with facilities for activities such as wood work, metal work,
textiles, electronics, music, drama, and visual arts
Beyond the Classroom:
Through engagement with the local community many of the resources beyond the
classroom will integrate students, families, community and business in the planning,
establishment, maintenance and sale of produce from the resources of the learning
centre. The typical learning centre will have:
 Garden centres – traditional, vertical, hydroponics, greenhouse – all enabling the
exploration of biological diversity concepts in the harsh environment
 Kitchen garden program
 Bush foods program
 Compost heaps, worm farms
 Chooks
 Fast growing trees planted for shade and to attract insects, birds and lizards
 Shaded outdoor tables and seating for both socializing and outdoor learning with
a variety of configurations
 Several dogs and cats who are free to enter classrooms
 Weekly electronic newsletters to the community with updates on what is
happening, invitations to future learning opportunities, produce updates,
sporting, craft, community and cultural news
Integration of the Indigenous community will not be a separate part of the curriculum, it
will be an integral part of the learning centre … the local languages, culture, stories,
music, art and traditions will be shared.
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=future+classrooms&biw=1518&bih=649&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=kd5OVMutI
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The Classroom:
Spacious
Flexible seating/working arrangements
Break out areas
Quiet corner
Storage, shelving and display areas
Carpeted zones
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=future+classrooms&biw=1518&bih=649&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=kd5OVMutI
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http://www.class.net.nz/News++Updates/MLE+Modern+Learning+Environments.html
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=future+classrooms&biw=1518&bih=649&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=kd5OVMutI
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Sense of Community:
There are many ways to integrate classroom learners, distance learners and the
community. Community involvement and engagement as listed in the areas above will
be further fostered through:
Regular web sessions / trivia quizzes / discussion groups
Daily on-line get togethers for students
Popsicles with the Principal – small groups engage in web cam chat with the
Principal
Annual arts/crafts/sports events
Olympiads … maths, science, history, geography …
Edmodo style learning support, assessment, skills enhancement
Recipe forum
Literary/Film forums
Conclusion:
In 2063 the bereft mining towns populated by FIFO workers of the early part of the
century are no longer. A sense of community is embedded in these far flung pockets of
Australia through the learning centres which have emerged as part of the remodeling of
these towns. Technology, attitudes, education, and integration have become a
successful recipe for the existence and enhancement of them.
References:
http://www.mining-technology.com/projects/-solomon-hub-iron-ore-mine-western-australia/
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=future+classrooms&biw=1518&bih=649&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=kd5OVMutI
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52Ftouchdesk.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.engadget.com%252F2008%252F09%252F18%252Fclassrooms-of-the-futureto-have-multitouch-desks-probably-a-fe%252F%3B500%3B330
https://www.google.com.au/search?q=future+classrooms&biw=1518&bih=649&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=kd5OVMutI
YP78QW8zYHQDw&sqi=2&ved=0CBwQsAQ&dpr=0.9#imgdii=_
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YP78QW8zYHQDw&sqi=2&ved=0CBwQsAQ&dpr=0.9#facrc=_&imgdii=nBJgjQvEt9VBjM%3A%3Bc3iz_AcnYuakRM%3BnBJgjQvE
t9VBjM%3A&imgrc=nBJgjQvEt9VBjM%253A%3BhfAN0UciAJPOkM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fstatic.guim.co.uk%252Fsysimages%252FGuardian%252FPix%252Fcommercial%252F2011%252F11%252F2%252F1320231123179%252FTowers-JuniorSchool-Walt-007.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww.theguardian.com%252Fsmart-class-2025%252Fhow-to-make-classroomsengaging%3B460%3B276
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FBOXXmAXuzoGQBw&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1518&bih=649&dpr=0.9#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=de2mcaxdcggMyM%253A%
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FBOXXmAXuzoGQBw&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1518&bih=649&dpr=0.9#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=de2mcaxdcggMyM%253A%
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