EdTec_467

Some may think that "finding the needles they care about in a huge haystack" would be a rather time consuming task; however, with RSS feeds like the one we were required to set up at the beginning of this course, the tool does the work for you. You will not have to filter through everything you read for the stuff that you really care about. In the Networked Student Video that is a part of the Week 8 tasks, students now use their iPod or music listening device to listen through iTunesU to literally some of the best professors in the world. You may think that what you are researching or trying to find may be like trying to find a needle in a haystack, but you can't be scared to go out and look for ways and people to find out as much as you can. As I read in this article, "It never hurts to ask- people love to share their knowledge in their fields of expertise.

To add, again from the "Networked Student" video from Week 8, "Information management will be a major challenge in the 21st century". Subscribing to RSS feeds is changing the content on the internet that becomes availble to you.

To be honest, I was completely unaware of RSS feeds prior to this class. It was overwhelming to set one up and to think about checking it. I didn't really see the point in it. However, the video clip really put into perspective how important that tool can be as we transition our students to this style of learning and the process of building PLN's.

If this is the case, then why is Google cutting RSS feeds?

Valid question. Cutting Google Reader is one of the stupider things to happen on the Internet recently, like Flash stopping support on mobile devices. They've lost touch with how actual people use their services.

@Marie - yep, RSS saves you the time of having to manually navigate to all those different websites and then also drilling down to that specific blog post.

@cheryl - good question re Google "cutting RSS feeds" The word on the street is money; it's not profitable enough.

From The Digital Reader: Wired has a new article on Google Reader.... They scored an exclusive interview with Richard Gingras, Google's Senior Director of News & Social Products. This article is Google's attempt at spinning the shut down of Google Reader (now only 24 days away), but in trying to come up with an explanation why the Readerpocalypse was a good idea, Google has actually revealed just how little they understand about how we read, and how we find content to read. But there's another reason Google decided to put its RSS reader to death. According to Mountain View, most of us simply consume news differently now than when Reader was launched. "As a culture we have moved into a realm where the consumption of news is a near-constant process," says Richard Gingras, Senior Director, News & Social Products at Google. "Users with smartphones and tablets are consuming news in bits and bites throughout the course of the day - replacing the old standard behaviors of news consumption over breakfast along with a leisurely read at the end of the day." http://www.the-digital-reader.com/2013/06/06/google-tells-wired-why-google-reader-was-axed-reveals-that-they-dont-understand-how-we-discover-news-articles/#.UdNgpfmmjfw

Since many educators do take this standpoint today, and if much of the learning is done outside of this "classical perspective" of knowledge, you may ask yourself what exactly is the role of a teacher who is encouraging the use of Web 2.0 tools in the classroom? As I learned from the "Networked Student" video, the teacher has many roles. The teacher helps to take advantage of learning opportunities, build your "network", offers guidance, models, and organizes information. The teacher also assists students when they hit a bump in the road. This shift in "teaching" I believe is a struggle for many educators.

It's easier to adopt binary, all-or-nothing policies (e.g., ban cell phones) rather than approach them in more nuanced ways and explore different learning scenarios in order to see where and/or how they work successfully.

The binary approach is likely more common because we all know that we are distracted individuals. In a formal educational setting, some students just don't want to be there and don't want to pay attention. Providing them a means to "disconnect" from the class through web 2.0 tools (if not used for the proper purposes) just distances them from their education. However, if these tools can be introduced and controlled (although that word is too strong) by the teacher, than learning can be facilitated.

I would argue that the tools AND the content could be introduced differently and could facilitate learning more effectively.

I think that some students are going to find a way to be distracted even if we ban their devices. Doodling, note-passing, daydreaming, and the like can all occur without a device. We may be able to keep students on task better if we let them have their devices because instead of worrying about whether they received a certain email or whatever, they can check. It is hard for me to not look at my phone every few minutes, it is simply a behavior that I am used to!

I, too, think it is important to remember that we are growing up in an age that is filled with multi-taskers. Students today can learn at the same time as doodling or playing on their device. Although we may not feel like the learner is paying attention and absorbing the information being presented, to the learner it is quite the opposite.

Marie: I would also add that it depends on the level and age of the student whether devices are allowed and how much they are allowed. I really feel at the college level that it is the students' responsibility to learn and that I am their guide. If using a device helps them without distracting others, I see no reason to not allow it. It took a while for me to come to terms with this, but several times important information or tools have been shared in class because someone looked something up!

@Jordan - "However, if these tools can be introduced and controlled (although that word is too strong) by the teacher, ..." Yes, that word is too strong. They can't be controlled per se and most advocates don't think that's a productive way in which to think of them. Managed? Yes, to a certain extent. Designed with deliberate learning goals in mind and founded on substantive learning theories? Absolutely. I would say, it's more about parameters when it comes to introducing and using these technologies. Students may take and use these technologies in completely unexpected ways, but in ways that are very creative or insightful. But letting go is difficult for many teachers because their training and prior experience with formal schooling environments (as well as a myriad of other factors) equates good learning with a quiet, well-controlled classroom.

This speaks directly to the Pew Research from last week about how teachers are using technology in their classrooms and at home

I have found this to be very true. While all educators should try to learn and improve, there are some personality characteristics that can't be learned if you are going to stand in front of a group and try to get them to care about something!

One of the amazing things about both of the teachers mentioned in this article is the fact that they both CONNECT with their students.  Regardless of the methods, the use or lack there of when it comes to technology, or the subject, each teacher is there with their student, being available, giving their all, and being open enough to make contact with the faces that are staring back at them.  Regardless of the course, my best professors/teachers are those with whom I connected.

LOVE this quote! With all of the Teach For America sessions I've been attending this summer, the term 'empower' sticks out to me. It is so important that we empower our students in order to stimulate learning and to clarify the purpose of being a lifelong learner.