Reflection 1 – First thoughts about my swamp
Stepping up into my ‘swamp’ (Burge, 2001) within a Brisbane State primary school is somewhat deflating. Its clear signage gives promise; ‘Learning Technology Centre,’ etched in glass above the door, but the dated and dreary space is anything but inviting.
The painted, pale yellow, brick walls invoke a sense of exhaustion. The fixtures and fittings look older than their 13 year life…it is almost as if the builders/designers decided to create a space that looked like it was built at the same time as the rest of the library in the late 1970s.
Despite its lack of aesthetic appeal, the space is used regularly for lessons by the teacher librarian and classroom teachers, as well as being a very popular space for children to converge at break times.
The space can be likened to a beta version of an app, it has some functionality, but it has glitches and its design is primitive. I remind myself that even the most successful apps start out in beta. Just like apps that eventually make it to market need constant bug fixes and updates, this space needs to be refreshed and updated so that it can stop ‘glitching’ in this era of rapid technological change and development.
In improving this ‘app’, I will bring my skills as an experienced classroom teacher and my passion for e-learning and developing 21st century skills to the fore. I would like to develop a more accessible and flexible space that is welcoming and inspiring to 21st century learners.
References
Burge, L. (2001). People development: Reflective practice for educators. Keynote Speech for the Networking 2001 Conference. Brisbane, Australia, October 14-18.
