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Michael Johnson

Google Buzz Versus Google Wave - PCWorld - 11 views

www.pcworld.com/...e_buzz_versus_google_wave.html

Google Buzz Google Wave Social Media Web 2.0

shared by Michael Johnson on 11 Feb 10 - Cached
  • Michael Johnson on 11 Feb 10
     
    If Google Buzz sounds familiar, that could be because it's a whole lot like Google Wave. Here's how the two services compare.
Michael Johnson

Teaching in Social and Technological Networks « Connectivism - 9 views

www.connectivism.ca/?p=220

teaching Learning Social Media social networks George Siemens

shared by Michael Johnson on 17 Feb 10 - Cached
  • The model falls apart when we distribute content and extend the activities of the teacher to include multiple educator inputs and peer-driven learning.
  • Skype brings anyone, from anywhere, into a classroom. Students are not confined to interacting with only the ideas of a researcher or theorist. Instead, a student can interact directly with researchers through Twitter, blogs, Facebook, and listservs. The largely unitary voice of the traditional teacher is fragmented by the limitless conversation opportunities available in networks. When learners have control of the tools of conversation, they also control the conversations in which they choose to engage. Course content is similarly fragmented. The textbook is now augmented with YouTube videos, online articles, simulations, Second Life builds, virtual museums, Diigo content trails, StumpleUpon reflections, and so on.
  • Traditional courses provide a coherent view of a subject. This view is shaped by “learning outcomes” (or objectives). These outcomes drive the selection of content and the design of learning activities. Ideally, outcomes and content/curriculum/instruction are then aligned with the assessment. It’s all very logical: we teach what we say we are going to teach, and then we assess what we said we would teach. This cozy comfortable world of outcomes-instruction-assessment alignment exists only in education. In all other areas of life, ambiguity, uncertainty, and unkowns reign. Fragmentation of content and conversation is about to disrupt this well-ordered view of learning. Educators and universities are beginning to realize that they no longer have the control they once (thought they) did
  • ...18 more annotations...
  • I’ve come to view teaching as a critical and needed activity in the chaotic and ambiguous information climate created by networks.
  • In networks, teachers are one node among many. Learners will, however, likely be somewhat selective of which nodes they follow and listen to. Most likely, a teacher will be one of the more prominent nodes in a learner’s network. Thoughts, ideas, or messages that the teacher amplifies will generally have a greater probability of being seen by course participants. The network of information is shaped by the actions of the teacher in drawing attention to signals (content elements) that are particularly important in a given subject area.
  • While “curator” carries the stigma of dusty museums, the metaphor is appropriate for teaching and learning. The curator, in a learning context, arranges key elements of a subject in such a manner that learners will “bump into” them throughout the course. Instead of explicitly stating “you must know this”, the curator includes critical course concepts in her dialogue with learners, her comments on blog posts, her in-class discussions, and in her personal reflections. As learners grow their own networks of understanding, frequent encounters with conceptual artifacts shared by the teacher will begin to resonate.
  • Today’s social web is no different – we find our way through active exploration. Designers can aid the wayfinding process through consistency of design and functionality across various tools, but ultimately, it is the responsibility of the individual to click/fail/recoup and continue. Fortunately, the experience of wayfinding is now augmented by social systems. Social structures are filters. As a learner grows (and prunes) her personal networks, she also develops an effective means to filter abundance. The network becomes a cognitive agent in this instance – helping the learner to make sense of complex subject areas by relying not only on her own reading and resource exploration, but by permitting her social network to filter resources and draw attention to important topics. In order for these networks to work effectively, learners must be conscious of the need for diversity and should include nodes that offer critical or antagonistic perspectives on all topic areas. Sensemaking in complex environments is a social process.
  • Aggregation should do the same – reveal the content and conversation structure of the course as it unfolds, rather than defining it in advance.
  • Filtering resources is an important educator role, but as noted already, effective filtering can be done through a combination of wayfinding, social sensemaking, and aggregation. But expertise still matters. Educators often have years or decades of experience in a field. As such, they are familiar with many of the concepts, pitfalls, confusions, and distractions that learners are likely to encounter. As should be evident by now, the educator is an important agent in networked learning. Instead of being the sole or dominant filter of information, he now shares this task with other methods and individuals.
  • Filtering can be done in explicit ways – such as selecting readings around course topics – or in less obvious ways – such as writing summary blog posts around topics. Learning is an eliminative process. By determining what doesn’t belong, a learner develops and focuses his understanding of a topic. The teacher assists in the process by providing one stream of filtered information. The student is then faced with making nuanced selections based on the multiple information streams he encounters
  • Stephen’s statements that resonated with many learners centers on modelling as a teaching practice: “To teach is to model and to demonstrate. To learn is to practice and to reflect.” (As far as I can tell, he first made the statement during OCC in 2007).
  • Modelling has its roots in apprenticeship. Learning is a multi-faceted process, involving cognitive, social, and emotional dimensions. Knowledge is similarly multi-faceted, involving declarative, procedural, and academic dimensions. It is unreasonable to expect a class environment to capture the richness of these dimensions. Apprenticeship learning models are among the most effective in attending to the full breadth of learning. Apprenticeship is concerned with more than cognition and knowledge (to know about) – it also addresses the process of becoming a carpenter, plumber, or physician.
  • Without an online identity, you can’t connect with others – to know and be known. I don’t think I’m overstating the importance of have a presence in order to participate in networks. To teach well in networks – to weave a narrative of coherence with learners – requires a point of presence. As a course progresses, the teacher provides summary comments, synthesizes discussions, provides critical perspectives, and directs learners to resources they may not have encountered before.
  • Persistent presence in the learning network is needed for the teacher to amplify, curate, aggregate, and filter content and to model critical thinking and cognitive attributes that reflect the needs of a discipline.
  • Teaching and learning in social and technological networks is similarly surprising – it’s hard to imagine that many of the tools we’re using are less than a decade old (the methods of learning in networks are not new, however. People have always learned in social networks).
  • We’re still early in many of these trends. Many questions remain unanswered about privacy, ethics in networks, and assessment.
  • We’re still early in many of these trends. Many questions remain unanswered about privacy, ethics in networks, and assessment.
  • The tools for controlling both content and conversation have shifted from the educator to the learner. We require a system that acknowledges this reality.
  • In order for these networks to work effectively, learners must be conscious of the need for diversity and should include nodes that offer critical or antagonistic perspectives on all topic areas. Sensemaking in complex environments is a social process.
  • In order for these networks to work effectively, learners must be conscious of the need for diversity and should include nodes that offer critical or antagonistic perspectives on all topic areas. Sensemaking in complex environments is a social process.
  • In order for these networks to work effectively, learners must be conscious of the need for diversity and should include nodes that offer critical or antagonistic perspectives on all topic areas. Sensemaking in complex environments is a social process.
  • Michael Johnson on 17 Feb 10
     
    Discusses the role of teachers in the learning  process through social networks: He gives seven roles 1. Amplifying, 2. Curating, 3. Wayfinding and socially-driven sensemaking, 4. Aggregating, 5. Filtering, 6. Modelling, 7. Persistent presence. He ends with this provocative thought: "My view is that change in education needs to be systemic and substantial. Education is concerned with content and conversations. The tools for controlling both content and conversation have shifted from the educator to the learner. We require a system that acknowledges this reality."
Barbara Lindsey

Pleased to Tweet You: Making a case for Twitter in the classroom - 12/1/2009 - School L... - 11 views

www.schoollibraryjournal.com/...CA6708199.html

twitter students pln

shared by Barbara Lindsey on 05 Jan 10 - Cached
  • Barbara Lindsey on 05 Jan 10
     
    PLNs for our students
April H.

Creating & Connecting - Research & Guidelines on Online Social --and Educational--Netwo... - 0 views

nsba.org/...41340.pdf

social networking education online learning article resources web2.0 learning

shared by April H. on 04 Jan 10 - Cached
  • April H. on 04 Jan 10
     
    Compilation of several surveys that looked at social networking. Respondants were students, parents, and school district administrators.
Dean Mantz

http://www.teachhub.com/news/article/cat/14/item/323 - 12 views

ow.ly/Udq7

teachhub google tips tricks applications tools technology learning teaching resources education

shared by Dean Mantz on 08 Jan 10 - Cached
  • Dean Mantz on 08 Jan 10
     
    100+ Google Tricks for Teachers
Professional Learning Board

Attention: Parents, Don't Give Your Kids a Cell Phone Until You Read This - 17 views

professionallearningboard.com/k12blog

internet safety cell phones gps photos education k12

shared by Professional Learning Board on 27 Nov 09 - Cached
  • Paul McKenzie on 28 Nov 09
     
    Good grief. Should we also tell them to stay away from the road because of the dangerous cars? Sounds like another way to deny kids an increasingly important 21C literacy.
  • ...1 more comment...
  • Professional Learning Board on 28 Nov 09
     
    Your analogy doesn't work. Of course we shouldn't deny them cell phones! Just as we should teach them how to drive before giving them a car, we should also teach them how to safely use cell phones. AND we should keep up on understanding the changes in the technology as well.
  • Paul McKenzie on 28 Nov 09
     
    Apologies - I thought you were advocating for the bulleted section of the article.
  • Professional Learning Board on 29 Nov 09
     
    Thanks. My general rule of thumb is to only advocate for continual improvement through on-going learning. I consider myself to be pretty tech-savvy and was SHOCKED to learn that GPS coordinates get auto-embedded in images. I'd never considered this before and don't consider the extra information (GPS coordinates that can easily be mapped to an exact location) something that "should be" (yet it is) made available to anyone who can view a picture. In other words, let's say, I'm super careful to not include identifying information in my photos (my name, school name, city landmarks, etc) and take a picture of say, my stereo system. I've now included with this image the exact coordinates for where my home (with stereo) is located. Now a potential thief has this information (w/Google Map directions). It's super hard to be intentional about all of our choices and actions (including using GPS data w/cell phone images). That said, the more we all know, the more each of us is able to make decisions that best align with our own views, values and understandings. It's one thing for an adult to make a decision or not make a decision about inclusion of GPS data in their cell phone taken images, it takes another level of consideration when it involves giving that capability to children. THANK YOU for helping me to capture and better articulate my thoughts in this area!
Dean Mantz

SU - Page from Facultyfocus.com - 3 views

www.stumbleupon.com/s

facultyfocus Twitter classroom education resource tool Web2.0

shared by Dean Mantz on 03 Dec 09 - Cached
  • Dean Mantz on 03 Dec 09
     
    Twitter in the classroom shows student engagement growing.
Dean Mantz

Education Week's Digital Directions: Digital Tools Expand Options for Personalized Lear... - 13 views

www.edweek.org/...02customlearning.h03.html

education personalized technology tools personalized learning learning teaching directions differentiatedinstruction

shared by Dean Mantz on 05 Feb 10 - Cached
  • latest technology tools
  • promise to ease the challenges
  • differentiating instruction more creatively and effectively
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • flexible and dynamic working environment
  • computer-based and face-to-face learning options customized for each student
Dean Mantz

Education Groups 'Extremely Concerned' over EETT Cut in Obama Budget -- THE Journal - 2 views

thejournal.com/...-EETT-Cut-in-Obama-Budget.aspx

eett 2011budget funding education technology instruction integration

shared by Dean Mantz on 04 Feb 10 - Cached
  • cut all funding to the Enhancing Education Through Technology (EETT)
  • proposed 2011 budget
  • infusing technology across the range of its proposed programs and school reform initiatives
Dean Mantz

Teacher Magazine: Why I Hate Interactive Whiteboards - 10 views

www.edweek.org/...tln_ferriter_whiteboards.html

iwb whiteboards classroom smartboard education blog technology blogging

shared by Dean Mantz on 28 Jan 10 - Cached
  • Dean Mantz on 28 Jan 10
     
    This blog post does provide some good points in opposition to IWBs. Good conversation piece.
  • Lorrie Cook on 29 Jan 10
     
    I provide technology training with five different school districts, all using several different types of IWBs. In districts where teachers see IWBs a way to make it easier for them to continue what they've already been doing, that is "stand and deliver", then I agree completely with the author. However, when teachers see IWBs as a way to involve students in and excite them about their own learning, then wonderful things happen. These tools can provide students with outstanding discovery and creative outlets and real learning happens. It's all about the teacher, not the board.
Dean Mantz

10 Organization Tools Designed to Ease the Writing Process - 20 views

freelancewriting.suite101.com/...ed-to-ease-the-writing-process

tools organization writing 10 mindmapping free in-expensive

shared by Dean Mantz on 27 Apr 10 - Cached
  • Mind mapping tools provide a powerful organization strategy for keeping large projects organized, planned, and well thought-out.
  • Free Tools: Mind Mapping Applications on the Internet
  • Inexpensive: Downloadable Organizational Applications
  • Dean Mantz on 27 Apr 10
     
    Collection of mindmapping sites to ease stress of writing.
David Wetzel

10 Online Programs Which Support Learning in Adult Education - 0 views

adult-education.suite101.com/...rt-learning-in-adult-education

online programs adult education free technology smartphone social bookmarking mobile applications internet tools web 20

shared by David Wetzel on 09 May 10 - Cached
  • David Wetzel on 09 May 10
     
    Free online technologies are changing adult education by offering the ability to use free online tools to support collaboration and completing class work. The list is long in regards to the number of online programs which support adult students in their quest for learning in adult education. The sheer number of these online software programs continues to grow almost daily. A review of several of these programs has narrowed the list down to a few which are beneficial to adult students, because they ease their work load and collaboration efforts with fellow classmates.
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