The Web has brought a world of information to our fingertips and, in the process, has transformed much of the way we work and live. But now that we have the ability to contribute our own ideas and experiences to the sum of human knowledge that we are building online, the impact of the Web is even more powerful. This shift in how we use the Web is already challenging political, business and media leaders to rethink the ways in which they operate. But what about education? Our model of schooling hasn't changed significantly in over 100 years, and it continues to be resistant to change in any meaningful ways. Yet in this new world of global connections, of powerful personal learning opportunities online, of shifting notions of information and knowledge, we must begin to re-envision the basic foundations of teaching and learning. If we don't, if we sit back and watch the world change without us, we risk our relevance and our ability to prepare our students for the world in which they will live and work.

If the BSF investment is about transformation then it is certain the stakeholders are engaged on a journey, not an event.

But what does that destination look like and, most importantly, what could the experience of learners and others be in a connected and "smart" community.

We have recently published a series of interlinked BSF Guides to help schools and Local Authorities envision, plan and deploy solutions to support a change agenda in their areas. Now building on the models, guidance and narratives contained in the BSF guides, the BSF Showcase attempts to illustrate the experience of teachers, learners and parents, who are also citizens, in a connected learning community - "what might that experience look like?"

Can BSF be a catalyst to shift the agenda from new buildings towards community renewal? What of the local authorities with a radical agenda for change who view BSF as being less about the connected learner and more about the world of the connected citizen able to create not just consume services.

Technology alone will not transform learning, but learning will not be transformed to meet modern citizens' expectations and needs without it.

Even the most innovative schools in the USA, the UK, and Australia often hit the wall in trying to transform learning for the 21st Century. 1-to-1 computing and a technology learning platform do much but by themselves do not lead to 21st Century Learning. Instead a new methodology of standards-based project-based learning, coupled with the appropriate technology tools and a collaborative learning environment, is needed to achieve 21st Century Learning.

Paul Curtis, the Chief Academic officer of the New Technology Foundation, Napa, CA, will tell the story of the now 35 New Technology High Schools in the US. Students graduate New Technology High School (NTHS) mastering 21st Century Knowledge and Skills through 8 learning outcomes: content standards, collaboration, critical thinking, oral communication, written communication, career preparation, citizenship and ethics, and technology literacy. Paul will share with you New Tech's methodology, practices, and tools for 21st Century Learning. He will show how projects are designed to embed 21st Century Skills, assessments are created to measure these skills, and how a unique "living" skills-based report card gives constant feedback to students and their parents. He will also demonstrate New Tech's Learning System, a suite of technology tools that help teachers design projects, assessment rubrics, and project calendars, and provide students with a "dashboard" environment through which they collaborate, do their work, get constant feedback/assessment of their work, and provide evidence of mastery of 21st Century Knowledge and Skills.

Mark is the General Manager of Toshiba’s Information Systems Division in Australia and New Zealand. He will introduce you to the latest ideas and thinking from Toshiba – the world’s foremost mobile computing innovator. This is a unique opportunity to find out about the next generation of technologies and products, and explore how these will influence your IT strategies and the way your students and staff work.

Even with the exciting challenge of ICT we have trouble transforming schools for 21st century relevance for young people. We have tried to make ICT work to our adult-terms and fit in, as well as it can, into industrial-era schools oriented to power and control. Transformation is about relevance and helping young people learn to manage, learn for themselves and be adaptable. It requires a culture that is change focused and collaborative. However, in schools we want to play it safe. How long before Gen Y leads schooling transformation? They know, at least, that it is not about how adults want to use technology!

This presentation will focus on our journey towards successful technology integration. We will look at how staff and students use technology as a tool in the teaching-learning process. At Penrhos College, our vision is to provide our student with the opportunity to become digitally literate and use the most appropriate technology tools to support the learning process and demonstrate their understandings. Technology skills are the skills that are required for the seamless use the available technology not only in the various curricula (8 learning areas), but also in the daily lives of students in a responsible and productive manner.

This presentation will be punctuated with example to illustrate how technology tools are impacting on education at Penrhos College.