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I see evidence of this now when I'm on hiring committees and we are drawn to folks that can provide a portfolio of evidence of learning. Its not enough to list your college and grade point average, we want to see that you are agile in your learning process and willing to explore new concepts.

Hannah - I completely agree. It's crucial for candidates to demonstrate these skills, but for better or worse the system still requires the more tangible credentials like a degree. I don't know if we'll ever get to a point where most job interviews are "demonstrate what you know" rather than "tell me what you know," but I think seeing that portfolio of actual work is far more telling that a candidates GPA.

Regarding job interviews, I was just on a hiring committee and one of the important issues that was raised was related to continuing professional development and lifelong learning. I think it is important that a candidate can show that they want to continue learning even if they are not currently pursuing a degree.

I agree witht his point but I have found that person indicate and say so many lovely things during interviews but once they land the job then they seem to forget what is said. SI I think we need to go further and work professional development as a requirement for job security and pay increase. This is a big challenge in my country some teacher have the mentality once trained always trained,

These are all great points and I agree. I am involved in the badging movement at Penn State and I see badging as a viable new option that could and eventually will replace the way we learn and acquire knowledge.

This is definitely an issue at my school. Many of the teachers are quite set in their ways and refuse to try and add any kind of technology to their curriculum. They need to continue to seek out professional development, especially in Technology areas where they have no experience.

I would go a step further and point out that is not just teachers who are set in their ways, but also school policy and administration who prevent the modern application of many devices.

Although some of my colleagues have created Facebook course sites, I have been worried about requiring my students to use this as a tool. However, this semester, several of my students created their own study group on Facebook and used it to share helpful videos, websites, and tips with each other. I suppose I should take the giant leap if they are already doing it for themselves!

IMHO: I like teachers not worrying about requiring it, or not requiring it. I think a key take-away from Seely is that the students are doing it themselves, they're engaging in self-directed learning behaviors, rather than relying on the teacher as the sole source

This was a discussion today at work as we were deciding on a textbook for a course for the next academic year. Some instructors really like some of the tools used by a particular textbook and I was noting that sometimes certain tools might not help some types of learners so I don't like to require them to complete those tasks. I know some instructors utilize different assessments that a student can chose based on their own learning style--making a portfolio for instance instead of taking a traditional test.

I like that there are tools out there like Facebook that are more educationally organized to help facilitate this type of learning environment. One example that I was introduced to is Edmodo. This website mimic's Facebook but allows teacher's to take responsibility of their class page. Again, I like the idea of this tool but finding a way to implement this in the primary setting is frustrating. Hopefully throughout this course, I will be able to learn more about how to do that!

Engaging students in any matter is positive.  Whether it be social media or in the classroom, the more students continue to talk about what they learn, they more they actually learn.

This is an interesting thought. Education/knowledge is becoming immediately accessible to nearly anyone who wants it, but if we are entering a time where we "need" to acquire all this new knowledge quickly then we must come up with an infrastructure to support not just the distribution of that knowledge but also what to do with the educated masses. 

Good point. What kinds of new professions, occupations are being created by these new knowledge opportunities?

In relation to Jordan's comment, I'm not sure we've figured out what to do with the educated masses as there are plenty of people looking for jobs who have graduate degrees but can not gain employment.  Instead they find themselves working in wage payroll jobs to pay the bills.  Certainly within the library fields, new positions have been created or renamed (example: Emerging Technology Librarian) to stay ahead of technology use in the community.   

Web 2.0 resources are great for bringing people together, but how do they allow for exchanges of diverse ideas? If people are only connecting with others who have "common interests," are there limitations to how knowledge can be transformed, rather than simply perpetuated?

Yep, we can't let the algorithm-based social networks do all the work for us, or we indeed end up with nothing more than self-validating echo chambers. It can start by intentionally incorporating divergent perspectives into your social feeds (e.g., Twitter, Tumblr)

I love Web 2.0 for creation of projects. I'll be interested to see what we can do with exchanges of ideas.

I love the these Web 2.0 tools allow us to communicate. Fostering communication between peers is the best way to learn. Although I like the blogs and wikis for this collaborative purpose, I struggle with finding a way to make it manageable for primary grades. The value of collaboration on material covered can only enhance student learning but the hoops we need to jump through as primary educators is far more difficult then implementing the actual tool!

I am a huge fan of two-way/interactive web learning.But it is sometimes hard for me to keep up with class activities to organize contents we discuss and exchange. Web 2.0 is very active learning tool if I can find the way I organize all the thing I need to remember with my own file. For example, I read some interesting comments yesterday, and now I don't see and remember his or her comments..

I am new to the blogging/social learning way we are experiencing here.  As a result of that, I am so overwhelmed with trying to keep up.

A great virtual community that my class experimented with last semester was Google+ Hangouts. It provides a facebook feel yet has a "private group" where anyone in the group can post to the timeline. It keeps a running timeline of the class, which is pretty cool. I especially love Web 2.0 tools and social networking. In a sense, my generation grew up with it, so it almost feels second nature to me. I'm super curious and excited to see how learning and the world will look like in 10-15 years, when the generation in college and graduating high school starts overtaking the workforce in numbers.

People often knock Wikipedia, but it's an amazing (and I think wonderfully executed) example of knowledge sharing. Thinking about not only how easily it can be accessed to find information, but also how easily it can open pathways to explore other topics. I would never pick up an encyclopedia for one topic and then when I'm finished reading, flip the pages to another random topic to learn more. But on Wikipedia, I constantly click through to other articles to learn more about related (or even unrelated) topics. I'm not sure if it's just the novelty of the tool, but it makes it feel more like knowledge exploration than "learning."

It is true that this open environment invites readers to consider what information is reliable - I wonder if most people just grab the information they find and use it without checking if the content is accurate either due to ignorance or the pressure of time to submit a writing. This open environment should force us to be critical consumers of information.

I believe as educators, we fall short in seeing and expressing the good intentions of open sources. I know that when I was in high school, Wikipedia was deemed "bad!" We were to never use Wikipedia for information, references, etc. when doing research for papers. I think that this article allows us to think about Wikipedia in a new context. Being able to evaluate the credibility of information before relying on it is essential. But the real value is in the collaboration that can go into a Wikipedia page to provide accurate, advance, and up-to-date information. We need to start teaching how to properly use these tools instead of scaring people away!

I like my students to use wikipedia. Often, I will find an article that I know has a bit of misleading information just for the student's to use as an analytical piece. 

We construct knowledge as people. I use the same principle with my students. They appeal to me, albeit in vain, for the answer, but when using the Socrative method, I remind my students that they must come to a consensus on an answer.

Although I cannot find the reference at this moment, I recently read that Wikipedia was as statistically correct as most encyclopedias (maybe it was in my stats class).

There's been quite a bit of empirical research into the teams of people who contribute, edit, etc. Wikipedia entries. For example, one of my favorites looks at how some contributors become a "Wikipedian" http://www.cc.gatech.edu/~asb/papers/bryant_forte_bruckman_group05.html

I agree that the perception of the validity of Wikipedia has improved over time! When I was studying for my Master of Library and Information Science, we found that wikipedia was more accurate than encyclopedias in some cases. However, when working with K-12 students who are looking for the fastest 'information grab'. I still encourage teachers to only allow them to use the references at the end of the article as sources.

@kristiemcgarry +1

It's easy to see how the long tail concept can apply to Web 2.0 learning. As it provides more choices and ways to access information, it becomes easier for the learning to develop and take control of their own education.

Especially with different styles of learners, Web 2.0 tools can allow us to tap into all of the different ways that students learn.

This would illustrate a shift in how we view learning, and I think it'd be a great one. Most students view learning as a task, as a means to an end (like getting a job). But as information becomes more easily accessible and life-long learning can easily be done, learning can be viewed more positively.

I agree with you Jordan. When learning is viewed in a more positive light, it occurs more regularly and is not seen as simply a "task". My dad used to always tell me, "learning lasts a lifetime" and it has sort of turned into a family joke. He calls it our "family motto". We laugh about it since he says it so often, but it is quite true. Web 2.0 supports this and who knows how what we learn and how we do it will change and adapt within the coming years.

The problem is that business leaders and politicians are now constantly releasing statements and publishing articles talking about how learning anything that isn't directly related to employment is a waste of time and money.

Learning for its own sake is highly valuable. We should voraciously pursue it. As Shelby quoted her Dad, learning is one of the best investments you can make in yourself, especially because you will have it for pretty much your whole life.

It was only in Oct'12 that I heard of the term 'open education' which is made possible by internet Web 2.0 technologies and the power of volunteers such that education is no more accessible to those who can afford it. Indeed Coursera, Audacity, etc are platforms for global education - what do you think will happen to future higher ed after watching epic2020.org and witnessing the tsunami of open courses/education

Ivy League schools opening their doors to the world through their open online courses is a very bid deal. I don't really have an answer to your question at all. I just think it is an interesting experiment in democratic education. Some scientific journals are going all-access electronically as well in an effort to improve communication between researchers in the field, and I think one R&D researcher's question (when discussing it on FB) is valid... how is all this being funded, and will it impact the scholarly validity of the research?

This is interesting statement in light of the recent debate over net neutrality.  Currently, users gain access to all search results, but if the FCC has their way then it would be more of a pay per view Internet.  This would drastically impact schools and libraries.   

@kmlambert - yes, this is definitely something to keep an eye on. One would hope that at the very least libraries would be given some kind of special "public interest" exemption if some type of tiered pricing model comes about

I engage in social learning everyday, but most of the time it id done through formal or informal meetings. It is a beautifl tool to utilise when engaging in problem solving, the ability to bounce ideas off of another colleague or here another perspective. Web 2.0 tool magnify the opportunities for social learning as it removes the barrier of persons having to be in the same location at the same time. It also allows for artifacts to be created that can be viewed over time.

This is a great point and a great example of this would be Google Docs. Google Docs has become a super powerful tool in my education as well as my personal and professional lives. I can create a document and share it with whoever I want, and that person can add or edit. This is great for distant learning where students can work on the same document at the same time, from different ends of the world.

I have tended to think that learning is a individual process.  Want to learn how to knit, to drive, to ski, or to solve math problems?  While each activity must be completed by an individual, it is usually only mastered through social learning.   

In my middle school language arts class, we use GoogleDrive/Docs all the time to share and collaborate on writing projects. The kids love to proofread each other's work and comment on how their peers can improve their writing. After implementing the writing process in two ways (traditional pencil/paper and using GoogleDrive) the students definitely put more time and effort into doing their work on the computer!

I feel that this statement on Social Learning best describes my learning style. Reading texts or listening to lectures does not always bring important information into context for me. Instead, I find myself learning more from my peers who are able to "teach" the information in new way/context with added commentary and reflection.

As a librarian, people expect me to slam Wikipedia and other such crowd sourced materials, but I don't. Use the references at the bottom of the page, people! Don't cite the Wikipedia article; click through to the actual source and use that. They are finding your research for you.

Many high school students are unsure of what to pursue in college. Many college students are unsure what to pursue as a major. Even when they graduate with a degree, they might do something completely unrelated to their area of training. Field-specific training is important, but generalizable learning such as critical thinking, communication, and interpersonal skills might prove more effective in raising the adaptability of today's workers as they navigator several careers.

I am definitely not doing what I originally thought I would do or what I did do immediately after graduation. I would also argue that some educational programs don't train you for what you typically end up doing. For instance, most Ph.D. programs in the sciences prepare students to do research in their field, although many end up being teachers with little to no training in teaching. This is beginning to change from what I have seen with some programs adding teaching options or doctoral programs becoming completely dedicated to teaching.

I wonder if the "respect level" or "prestige level" is different for professors who dedicate themselves to teaching when compared to those who dedicate themselves to research.

Last I heard, many people will change careers seven times over their working lifetime.  While there is some componenents that overlap, I am not in a field related to my undergraduate degree.  

I as well am not in a field related to my undergraduate degree. However, my undergrad degree is quite broad, Communications. My full time job is an Education Program Assistant at Penn State, but I do film weddings as a freelance videographer which coincides directly with my undergraduate degree. Filming weddings and videography is more of a hobby and passion of mine, which I probably would not have picked up if it was not for my undergrad degree. I think it is funny that my passion lies within my undergrad degree, but I can't make a solid income with that specific work just yet. Who knows what the future holds though!

iTunesU offers Ivy-league caliber courses free of charge. From worksheets to lesson videos and assignments, these courses are available to anyone with an iOS device and Internet connection.

Yes indeed Open Yale Courses, Harvard Open Courses, etc are sharing their resources freely however the videos are too long (recording lectures) - thus requiring deep linking to specific contents

OER are free, and widely available, but I'm curious about their measured impact on learning. Learning includes assessments, scope, sequencing, and other curricular and standards-based alignnments; the internet is overflowing with information resources but we don't always know how effectively they are being used for student learning.

An interesting side note, Centre County, PA is developing their own OER, called CrowdCourse.  Developed with local partners in collaboration with Centre County Libraries.  See: here: http://centrecounty.crowdcourse.com/

@kristin - good question. B/c this phenomenon is relatively new, there's not a whole lot out there to my knowledge. However, David Wiley is considered one of the leaders in researching this area. He also spoke at a Penn State Teaching Learning & Tech symposium several years ago. http://scholar.google.com/citations?user=M47HR7IAAAAJ

It seems as though some of the MOOCS are courses that used to be offered at a University but then became a free course for anyone to take. Does anyone know how this is decided? Is there a new version the universities are offering/charging for?

I enjoy the iTunes U courses also! :)

Our world has also flattened by our lack of knowledge depth.  We are expected to know a little about a lot and what we don't know be able to find by technological means.  Is it enough to have a knowledge base that is a mile wide and an inch deep?

This reminds me of the quote "To know that we know what we know, and to know that we do not know what we do not know, that is true knowledge" -Copernicus Information being readily available provides us with opportunity to seek diverse as well as in depth knowledge and as a result connections can be made and we are able to grow holistically as individuals. When it comes to long term lasting development, I think it's important to weigh options with a broad perspective; however, I feel as though in depth knowledge that is trade specific aims to assure quality, safety, and efficiency by individuals who have practiced, observed, shared, and as a result improved on their trade which is also essential. Just like a formal learning environment, I feel as though there is a need for unique individuals that rely on each other as a key aspect of enrichment and success in the workforce alike.

I wonder how this though impacts enrollment in technological school.  I ask only because of a recent conversation with an electrician that came to install a new light fixture for me who commented that it is harder to find younger people interested in the vocational trades.  In fact, the average age for the company he worked for was around 38.

This also makes me question many of the technology based policies of school districts. Use of devices within my school is limited severely. Isn't this hindering our ability to prepare students to compete in the modern workforce?

Steve Case, of early AOL fame, was the commencement speaker for UNC's graduation where he tweeted a picture of the class standing after he finished his speech (cool use of social networking especially since he sent it to Duke).  Here he commented that people have multiple jobs and multiple careers so they should keep learning and be flexible. He also recently gave an interview about the internet and its future and offers interesting insight into the potential of Web 2.0 in education.  The article discusses that the only thing holding back the 2.0 revolution is issues with the infrastructure.  His interview can be found here: http://www.foxnews.com/tech/2013/05/29/2nd-great-internet-revolution-is-coming-aol-founder-says/  

When passion is injected into learning it no longer becomes a chore or a job but an experience.

I totally agree. One of my favorite quotes, which I have featured on every page of my digital portfolio is from William Butler Yeats. "Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire."

I like the idea of "passion-based learning" since this kind of internal exigency produces really strong work from students.

I do too! When anyone is passionate about something it makes it less of a chore and more enjoyable!

Last semester in Design Studio, we experimented with having a "virtual class" in Second Life. It was rather interesting. We all created avatars and met in a building. There was a screen in the building that could be used as a web browser, or to play videos or PowerPoints.This way, students could attend Design Studio in person in a real classroom (and join the virtual classroom) and students from a distance could join the virtual classroom and everyone could be in the same classroom. Having avatars gave a sense of personality to a person, which created a different online learning experience.

This sounds like an awesome course! You met in an actual building? Was this a resident course or is it offered online?

Another great tool not mentioned here is Twitter and the use of hash-tag conversations. I've participated in a number of these and have also found that I discovered other hash tag conversations and weighed in, not knowing the full context. This is a very cool concept because anyone who has a twitter account, which is a lot of people, can find your conversation and join by using the specified hash tag.

Penn State's " Certificate in Educational Technology Integration" is one such course which I wasn't available to in my physical environment.

Embracing challenge for continuous quality improvement/learning.

I never really thought of the Web being a tool to reach multiple intelligences! The different tools that are on the internet would be great to use in the classroom because each child could express their learning in the context that best suits their needs. Some students could be typing written documents, others could be creating presentations or even short video clips. The possibilities are endless when involving Web 2.0 tools!

I noticed this idea, too! I'm a very visual learner, so I appreciate how the Internet can easily include text, videos, and slideshows in the classroom learning environment. Being able to connect to audio for auditory learners or people with visual impairments would also be really useful.

Much as discussed here, technology often reaches multiple intelligences at once seamlessly. I am a visual learner and my daughter is an auditory learner.  Recently, we both watched a clip and picked up on different things because she was mainly listening and I was mainly watching.  As stated here, this addresses not only how a child may express themselves but also how a child may learn too.

Yes, can you imagine have these types of tools when you in a K-12 setting?  I envision some of the harder subjects for myself would have been less difficult because I would be able to interact with the content in different ways.  

I would take it one step further to include that it not only reaches multiple intelligences, but also is great at adapting for ability levels. It posses the challenges needed for gifted students, the adaptations for students with needs, and can accomodate students who learn better in different languages. In many ways it is the ultimate instructional tool.

The idea that we need to be shifting from lecture-oriented/teacher centered learning is something that is hard for young teachers to start changing in their classrooms because of the lack of support from administration. I believe that soon students need to be learning in schools that are discovery-based. There still would be an underlying core of subjects being covered per grade level but students could work on their own through self-motivating projects to discover the information. The role of the teacher would be more of an adviser/moderator that would check in with students on their projects, make suggestions, and stretch their learning!

Marie--this is very interesting and I think what leads some parents to a home school curriculum. I am not a K-12 teacher and have no experience in that area, but with my own children I see that sometimes they are being taught one certain way to do something because that is the way they will be tested. Since my husband and I are both college professors, we often teach the kids other things and this gets them in trouble at school sometimes. For instance, we taught them 4 states of matter--liquid, gas, solid, and plasma. My son was told that plasma was not in the book so it was not a correct response.

Ugh. Yes. The "the answer in the book is the only correct answer" problem. I was one of those horrible students who argued with my teachers all the time that the teacher's edition was wrong. It's why I always try to write questions that are either A) obviously open-ended on purpose or B) specific enough that there is genuinely only one answer. Sometimes it's all in the directions, but because of my annoyance in school, I try to keep it in mind.

It seems like the discovery option in K-12 is not as prevalent in classrooms these days, because teachers/administrators are more worried about covering material for state tests.  

Marie that is exactly the type of classroom I try to maintain.  Students all around the room discovering their own learning.  Its amazing at how something as simple as the powerpoint project I'm having them create right now generates so much creativity and interest.  The students get to pick their topics and I haven't seen them more excited about a single assignment since I've been there.  They ask if we can get out the laptops every free minute and they are constantly calling me over while working to tell me the interesting pieces they are adding about their topic/person/thing.  I also have them present their powerpoint to the class hoping everyone can learn a little about each other's projects and generate their own questions.  As for "the answer in the book is the only correct answer", I haven't come across students that argue with the material yet (unless it is spelling and they are positive that tomato has an "e" in it), but plain and simple the books are outdated.  The information is not always accurate and although I still use the books I try to alternate the books and current internet pieces on the same topic.  Learning is about the students and we aren't constrained to just the old, dusty, resources in the room.

I like the thought of "augment[ing] the knowledge dynamics of a region". I think it acknowledges that technology is a great tool, but that it isn't the end all and be all. It adds to the learning experience in a way that can be individual and powerful.

Yes it should be pedagogy before technology

This is another way to see the Connectivist approach to learning

If Web 1.0 was about building a relationship between the web and the individual and Web 2.0 is about building support for relationships, what will Web 3.0 look like ... tailored experiences ... personalization...collaboration?  If so, are we already in a Web 3.0 world?

The Web 3.0 could be the Internet of Things or building a relationship between an indivudal and a thing, or turning things into people. Like having an oven recognize that Zach put a turkey in the oven and the oven knows that Zach likes the turkey cooked a certain way so it automatically cooks it for you. Scary concept, but it's coming.

In a lot of ways--and this is something that others have pointed out--big internet services have narrowed our influences because of more targeted use of the data we give off when we use Google, for instance. Thus, limited some of the potential for relationships that Brown talks about.

Interesting! Could this information be considered public like the information that is already being sold by physical stores, etc.? Do you think there will be less material things in the future and more virtual or made of different materials? Like a physical stop sign won't be necessary when cars drive themselves. We won't have to paint our walls we can change the color with a click!

Sam, I do think there will be less material things in the future. Check out this link. http://mashable.com/2013/05/18/stop-sign-water/ LaserVision, a light show company, designed a curtain of water with a stop sign projected onto it. It's been a project in Austrailia since 2007. The implications of this are endless. And I think we are approacing a very different and radical age.

That's really neat, thanks for sharing! :)

This shift is happening and undeniable. Social learning is the theme for our next e-learning e-fiesta. Thanks Phil for sharing this (rather long) article.

Does this guy work for Google now? Perhaps had a part in designing Google Glass? I got to experiement with Google Glass in February. Woah, was that cool. It was very unique in being able to watch a video in your glasses or wink and be able to take a picture. I can definitely see Google Glass, or a future model being implemented in education.

Google Glass came to my mind as well.  I've had colleagues that have had the opportunity to try them.  It confuses me as to how it works exactly.  Perhaps we have reached the Jetsons age?

I've been more fascinated with what 3D printers can do in the classroom, where at least for now printers seem to have an easier to identify educational role.

Well that was a dead-on prediction.

I think this can get into the touchy subject of plagiarism. There's a famous saying that goes, "stealing from one source is plagiarism, but stealing from many sources is research". I also read a book titled, "Steal Like an Artist" by Austin Kleon. One of the famous sayings used was from Picasso, "Good artists copy, great artists steal."

Again, I find most middle school and high school students, college-aged, and adults are not always certain on the differenences between a .gov or .edu site versus a .com site. 

The standards for "cobbling" or taking code fragments are different than traditional "ideas," though. Code seems less abstract and more material-based, at least virtually. 

This is a loaded sentence and I love it. It's a great point and I think it describes the complexity of today's world, Web 2.0 tools, and how to be an effective digital bricoleur.

I love this. Stories are everywhere, from birth to death, and have always been apart of the human nature. I do believe stories are vital to education and how every child learns best. Not always just storybooks, but stories from parents, classmates, friends, and from their teachers.

Absolutely! I always try to incorporate story telling into my classes. Sharing things I learned during my time in school and letting students share their stories with their peers and myself. A lot of the time I even learn from their stories!

This is a great way to learn that I think a lot of professors on campus overlook. The engineers basically were experiencing what we call today a "flipped classroom". I think this is a great way to learn, especially with a small group of people where you can bounce ideas off and pause the lecture or re-watch it. Sometimes during a lecture or in a class, people need that time to pause, and think over the material. Some students do this, and then miss what the instructor continued to talk about.

I think this is a rather important concept, that the teacher also learns from the students. This creates an environment of learning where students can take the reign of teacher and be able to teach. This creates a two-way conversation that can foster deeper and more meaninful learning.

We had "Grandma" in our class while student teaching. The students loved her! I wonder if the students in this project assist "their grandparent" in using technology?