I pass on an email from Garth Biggs that might be of interest…

I am working with the Ministry of Education to build strong links between industry, tertiary and secondary schools to support the Digital Technologies Guidelines (DTG) -  a planning environment which enables teachers to design and deliver programmes of ICT work for Years 11-13 that give context, coherence and relevance to its related areas of knowledge. These areas, aligning with the New Zealand Curriculum, currently include: software development and programming; digital media; electronics; business technology; and the examination of today’s digital environment and society.

The DTG’s objectives include:

  • Acknowledgement of the skills students are now bringing into ICT courses
  • Critical analysis of what is currently being offered in ICT and identifying whether it is meeting needs or identifying potential changes
  • Aligning course structure to produce clearer pathways beyond school
  • Some consistency between school programmes
  • Better alignment and collaboration with industry and tertiary

I am building eight Regional Interest Groups (RIGs) committed to work collaboratively to support digital technologies in secondary schools.

The types of support include:

  • Provide contextual learning experiences for teachers.
  • Resource support for teachers and students, for example:
    • The creation of briefs for students to develop outcomes;
    • the development of career pathways material;
    • videos that could be used to show their work in a classroom environment,
    • Student and/or teacher mentoring
    • Practical resources, such as software, upskilling teachers, course and conference attendance
  • The facilitation of workshops for teachers and/or students.
  • The development of activities for teachers and students to be engaged in (e.g. competitions, online games, discussions, industry hot seat…).
  • The development of virtual tours of their workplace and a discussion of the types of the jobs and activities that occur there.
  • Infrastructural support.
  • Whatever the RIG feels is appropriate…..

We envisage that each RIG would meet with a professional lead representing a cluster of teachers on approximately a quarterly timetable to provide this support. We also understand that from time-to-time industry and tertiary members will not be able to attend meetings because of other demands on their time. We are therefore looking for a large enough pool in each region to both cover this variability and to cover the range of disciplines/areas of expertise noted above. The Auckland RIG will meet in April and we’ll take the lessons of that out to the balance of the regions in May.

Planned regions are:

  • Northland
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
  • Palmerston North
  • Wellington
  • Nelson
  • Christchurch
  • Dunedin

If you are interested in volunteering to be involved in your local RIG, please e-mail me DIRECTLY at garth@biggs.co.nz, clearly identifying the region or regions convenient for you, and which particular area of interest (software development and programming; digital media; electronics; business technology; and the examination of today’s digital environment and society) is your area of expertise.

Involvement with a RIG is unpaid, but will give you the satisfaction of knowing you’re improving the futures of our kids, the ICT industry and New Zealand. Onwards, and upwards!

Garth