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Yochai Benkler's wealth of nations book online Next Chapter: Part I: The Networked Information Economy » read paragraph Chapter 1: Introduction: A Moment of Opportunity and Challenge 1 Information, knowledge, and culture are central to human freedom and human development. How they are produced and exchanged in our society critically affects the way we see the state of the world as it is and might be; who decides these questions; and how we, as societies and polities, come to understand what can and ought to be done. For more than 150 years, modern complex democracies have depended in large measure on an industrial information economy for these basic functions. In the past decade and a half, we have begun to see a radical change in the organization of information production. Enabled by technological change, we are beginning to see a series of economic, social, and cultural adaptations that make possible a radical transformation of how we make the information environment we occupy as autonomous individuals, citizens, and members of cultural and social groups. It seems passé today to speak of "the Internet revolution." In some academic circles, it is positively naïve. But it should not be. The change brought about by the networked information environment is deep. It is structural. It goes to the very foundations of how liberal markets and liberal democracies have coevolved for almost two centuries.

"In this eBook, Project RED - a national research and advocacy effort - shares preliminary results from a survey of technology-rich schools and takes a look at what past research and current observation tells us about the keys to successful technology implementation. What do we know about curriculum reform or the leadership, funding and legislation changes that will allow technology to transform learning and schools, just as it has transformed homes and offices in almost every other segment of our society? "

The "professor versus laptop (or other wireless access device)" issue is a false construct if we view technology-mediated learning as a social system offering many ways to alter one component and thus change the whole system. Rather than seeing distraction as a challenge, educators can see it as an opportunity to reflect upon and change the design of their entire instructional approach. Creative and innovative educators can use technology innovations to help reform teaching, similar to the way Guttenberg's press helped bring about scientific revolution and modern authorship.

The role of the teacher is slowly but surely changing and with this come new challenges. Change becomes inevitable and processes for managing this and capitalising on the opportunities it brings becomes paramount within organisations. It is perhaps not surprising that educational institutions may evolve to become what are termed 'Learning Organisations' or 'Professional Learning Communities' within which there is a focus on the application of the principles of learning to manage change and explore new opportunities. 

Interesting ideas and pretty true about education not changing.

Short animated videos on the changes to social media and technology from Australia's ABC.

On the Clouds: A New Way of Computing. By: Yan Han. Information Technology & Libraries, Jun2010, Vol. 29 Issue 2, p87-92, 6p, 1 Black and White Photograph, 1 Diagram; Abstract: This article introduces cloud computing and discusses the author's experience "on the clouds." The author reviews cloud computing services and providers, then presents his experience of running multiple systems (e.g., integrated library systems, content management systems, and repository software). He evaluates costs, discusses advantages, and addresses some issues about cloud computing. Cloud computing fundamentally changes the ways institutions and companies manage their computing needs. Libraries can take advantage of cloud computing to start an IT project with low cost, to manage computing resources cost-effectively, and to explore new computing possibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]; (AN 50741403) Tematy: CLOUD computing; COMMUNICATION in learning & scholarship; INTEGRATED library systems (Computer systems); INSTITUTIONAL repositories; LIBRARIES -- Automation; ACADEMIC libraries; INFORMATION technology; EFFECT of technological innovations on Baza danych: Academic Search Complete

A quick overview of disruptive technologies and education.

Great video showing how much has changed and how much we continue to struggle with the same ideas. In October 1995, the House Committee Economic and Educational Opportunities and House Science Committees held a nearly three-hour hearing to examine "technological advances in education."

"A mountain of evidence indicates that educators have been painfully slow to use technology to change and improve the ways they teach." Thoughtful piece examining the reasons for slow transformation.

"A mountain of evidence indicates that educators have been painfully slow to use technology to change and improve the ways they teach." Thoughtful piece examining the reasons for slow transformation.

I am currently reading "Thank you for being late: An optimist's guide to thriving in the age of accelerations" and have found in this the answer to these questions. In essence we are confronting two types of change, one that we have always faced and one that is unique to our current times. 

Teachers in tertiary education need new strategies to communicate with students of the net generation and to shape enticing educational experiences for them. The use of new approaches such as video-recorded lectures to communicate directly and individually with all students has been the preserve of technology-savvy educators. However, a recent technological advance - the Apple iPad - has the potential to change this situation, offering access to effective and efficient pedagogy in an easy and intuitive way. This paper is a report on the use of the iPad in teaching activities over the past 15 months, showing how it can be used to enhance engagement with learning for tertiary students, both those studying live on campus and those studying at a distance.

Blog post that articulates some of the best practices for incorporating an interactive white board (IWB), like a SMART Board, into your classroom in meaningful and instructionally sound ways.

Great video about students and how they use technology., the role technology plays in their life

The Times asked teachers to submit videos on how the use of technology has changed the way they teach.

"DRAFT: Promoting Grit, Tenacity, and Perseverance-Critical Factors for Success in the 21st Century We face a critical need to prepare children and adolescents to thrive in the 21st century-an era of rapidly evolving technology, demanding and collaborative STEM knowledge work, changing workforce needs, economic volatility, and unacceptable achievement gaps. This report takes a close look at a core set of noncognitive factors-grit, tenacity, and perseverance-that are essential to an individual's capacity to strive for and succeed at important goals, and to persist in the face of an array of challenges encountered throughout schooling and life."