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Michael Johnson

Teaching in Social and Technological Networks « Connectivism - 9 views

  • 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
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  • 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.
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    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."
Michael Johnson

Open for Learning: The CMS and the Open Learning Network | in education - 8 views

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    The course management system (CMS) reinforces the status quo and hinders substantial teaching and learning innovation in higher education. It does so by imposing artificial time limits on learner access to course content and other learners, privileging the role of the instructor at the expense of the learner, and limiting the power of the network effect in the learning process. The open learning network (OLN)-a hybrid of the CMS and the personal learning environment (PLE)-is proposed as an alternative learning technology environment with the potential to leverage the affordances of the Web to dramatically improve learning.
Clif Mims

A List of Possible Classroom Social Networks - 1 views

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    These are web applications that let you create private (or public, though for educational uses I'm primarily interested in ones that allow you to create "walled gardens") networks to share blog posts, images, videos, websites, and chatboard conversations.
Maintenance Training

Learning PLC Network to PC Communication to HMI SCADA Smartphone - 0 views

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    This whitepaper lays out the learning path needed to bring a PLC network to Smartphones in great detail. And all the stops in-between, OPC, SQL, HTML5, HMI, SCADA,cloud, to mobile. and most importantly, shows the security risk along the way. a great one to share withing your circles.
jodi tompkins

Gist - Connected People Change History - 7 views

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    All your contacts in one place. Your contacts are everywhere. In email, social networks, and many other sources. Gist brings your contacts into one place to give you the only full view of your network making it easy to find anyone, anytime.
Peter Kimmich

Comparing College Networking Sites, Besides Facebook/Myspace - 0 views

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    A handful of social networking sites are fighting to fill the gap left by Facebook's success, by targeting students like you...
Dean Mantz

Guidelines for Educators Using Social Networking Sites - Home - Doug Johnson'... - 0 views

  • My friend and colleague, Tech Director Jen Hegna over in the Byron (MN) schools developed this set of guidelines for the staff in her district. (She was motivated, she said, partially by posts here and here on the Blue Skunk. Cool!) Anyway she's given permission for me to share her work here and says readers are welcome to use and adopt as well:     Guidelines for Educators Using Social Networking Sites August 2009 (DRAFT, DRAFT, DRAFT)
James Liu

TOEFL Network an online TOEFL practice test - 0 views

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    TOEFL Network over 800 high-quality TOEFL sample practices & sample questions, TOEFL Network has helped thousands of students improve their TOEFL scores since 2009.
Jennifer Lamkins

Intel® Teach Elements-Online Professional Development Courses - 11 views

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    "Intel® Teach helps K-12 teachers of all subjects learn to engage students with digital learning, including digital content, Web 2.0, social networking, and online tools and resources. Intel Teach professional development empowers teachers to integrate technology effectively into their existing curriculum, focusing on their students' problem solving, critical thinking, and collaboration, which are precisely the skills required in the high tech, networked society in which we live."
drew polly

Using Social Networking tools with Students - 0 views

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    Educator Cheryl Lemke talks about how to use social networking tools with students.
April H.

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

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    Compilation of several surveys that looked at social networking. Respondants were students, parents, and school district administrators.
Dean Mantz

Kidswirl - Kids Social Network! - 10 views

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    Kidswirl.com is the first ULTRA SAFE social networking site for KIDS! Kids can blog, chat, listen to music, and post pictures.
James Liu

TOEFL Practices Anytime | TOEFL Network - 0 views

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    TOEFL Network provide an online TOEFL e-learning website offering ibt TOEFL practices & teaching materials for students to prepare for TOEFL test.
James Liu

Preparation for TOEFL ibt test Free | TOEFL Network - 0 views

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    Online TOEFL preparation course helps you to improve skill & gain the score you need. TOEFL Network is best source for improving your vocabulary & TOEFL ibt test score.
James Liu

TOEFL Network an online e-learning Institute - 0 views

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    TOEFL Network at British Columbia an online e-learning Institute of Technology.
Clif Mims

Discovery Educator Network - 2 views

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    Global community of educators passionate about teaching with digital media.
Clif Mims

WebQuest Dialog - 1 views

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    Ning social network about WebQuests
drew polly

Classroom 2.0 - 0 views

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    Network on using web 2.0 technologies in schools.
Clif Mims

ZooKazoo.com - 0 views

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    A Virtual Networking Game for Kids ZooKazoo is an online environment of imaginary and adventurous destinations where children can safely hang out, have fun, and make their world a better place.
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