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cherylanneburris

A New Culture of Learning: An Interview with John Seely Brown and Douglas Thomas (Part ... - 1 views

  • Play is defined by a set of rules which form a bounded environment. But within those rules players have as much freedom as they like to create, innovate and experiment. Just think of all the amazing athletic feats that have emerged from a game like soccer, simply from the rule “you may not touch the ball with your hands.”
    • Melissa Glenn
       
      While I would love to let my students play and be creative, there also needs to be some time to explain some basic concepts before they can go out on their own and be creative. I think in a college environment, in higher level courses, you can allow the students to be more self-directed, but in more introductory courses, you need to work within a tighter set of rules until the students are aware of the basic concepts. Or, at the very least, some of the more self-directed learning may come towards the end of a semester, after the basic rules are understood. I know this is an issue in my online courses because I want to add more student-student interaction, but since they are newcomers in the area, it is hard to let them do that without a lot of instructor moderation. In later courses, they are much better at working through the concepts with each other instead of with the instructor.
    • Marie Collins
       
      I think that this is a very interesting point. Like I said earlier, it amazes me at the number of young students who look for me to tell them what to do, what to believe, what is right. I want students to find their drive. To seek what they are interested in. How do we do this when the pressure of scores, evaluations, and effectiveness is all riding on test performance and the teaching of core curriculum?
  • Our schools believe that teaching more, faster, with better technology is preparing our students for the 21st century.
  • ...6 more annotations...
    • Marie Collins
       
      I think that this is a very interesting point! When reflecting on how my district views technology integration, I often think about the last few inservices we had. During those days, we sought video clips and websites to use in our lessons as activating strategies. Most of the time, these resources became extra visual aides in our lessons. The idea that we are using technology through this manner was expressed as the goal. After reading this, I see that the use of technology means something completely different!
    • cherylanneburris
       
      Marie, I agree with you.  It reminds me of the reading assignment we had earlier in the semester where technology in classrooms were equated to fancier word processors.  Often, the tool has changed but our purposes for the tools has not.
  • Learning is happening everywhere, all the time
    • Karen Yarbrough
       
      One way that people need to change their thinking about the Internet is the idea that surfing around is inherently time wasting. Reading articles or posts can be just as educational as more traditional forms of learning. My Mom and Dad get their news from the newspaper, and I get mine from the Internet. We end up in the same place knowledge-wise, but we just get there differently.
  • But we should be surprised when our students who go through the machine end up emerging looking like cogs.
    • Karen Yarbrough
       
      Standardized education results in standardized minds. School settings are important for teaching social skills and how to exist with other people in a society, but it also teaches how not to upset the social order.
  • When education became more “mechanized” it began to lose that sense of play. After all, who wants “play” in their machinery? Play is not precise or efficient; it is messy.
    • Karen Yarbrough
       
      I was just reading about this period in educational history in the curriculum overview class, and what I thought of as a recent reform in schools of using corporate models is not recent at all. People were trying to use industrial priorities and methods to change education a hundred years ago! Maybe it's important to think of digital education as an evolution of mechanized education, just a computer is a digital evolution of a mechanical adding machine.
  • Cultivation is a purposeful act, not something that just happens as a result of exposure or access,
    • cherylanneburris
       
      This is so key in education and speaks to the Sir Ken Robinson's video, "How to Escape Education's Death Valley".
  • You don’t teach imagination; you create an environment in which it can take root, grow and flourish.
    • cherylanneburris
       
      Again, this discussion parallels Sir Ken Robinson's talk "How to Escape Education's Death Valley" where he discusses command & control (standardized testing) vs climate control (that promotes an active engagement in learning by the student).
cherylanneburris

Raising Children in the Digital Age: An Interview with Lynn Schofield Clark (Part One) - 1 views

  • The preteens and teens in my study were concerned about risks that they related to identity: what you might call dissing, drama, and disregard (or being ignored).
    • cherylanneburris
       
      She hit the nail on the head!  These are the very things that concern my daughter who is 13.  
Rachel Tan

https://cms.psu.edu/WorldCampus/201112SP/201112SPWD___REDTEC498A001/ReadingMaterials/We... - 0 views

    • Rachel Tan
       
      This description of Web 1.0 makes me think if some  teachers in the Web 2.0 era are still perceiving web for education with a Web 1.0 mindset.  Watch this video on the 'Learning' in virtual environment by seeing what e-learning is not  http://youtu.be/aLEo4tXB7Sk  Web 2.0 technology if used appropriately can promote learning by creating a need to learn. I am very grateful for this class that gave me a reason to dabble with Diigo (as Justin remarked - it is a very powerful tool) and think through the questions as I read the required articles. Six months ago I was told about this tool but there was not much learning taking place.
    • Rachel Tan
       
      This is understandable, hence we can see many support teams in campuses around the world develop PD for teaching staff in the use of Web 2.0  technology. Sometimes we try to present the pedagogical reasons for use of technology but we as non academic staff have to be sensitive about this as some faculty members may feel we are treading on their turf.  
    • Rachel Tan
       
      This paragraph explains why I have not used tagging much for reasons of unfamiliarity to the subjects due to a major switch in career.  
  • ...1 more annotation...
    • Rachel Tan
       
      I wanted to tag our class blogs and post by author but I haven't figured how to do it. Does anyone in this class know and willing to give a few quick steps on how to? I am able to tag in the dashboard but only my own post :( Thanks in advance
Courtney Blackhurst

Why Teachers Shouldn't Blog….And Why I Do | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the ... - 5 views

    • Erika Impagliatelli
       
      Excellent excerpt here from the full letter!
  • gives me a little more incentive to be on the look-out for new resources — and pushes me to be a little more creative in my thinking about how to use them
    • Marie Collins
       
      I agree 100% that blogging allows a teacher to become inspired about other ideas. I find myself becoming inspired by other teacher blogs that I stumble across when "pinning" something on Pinterest.
    • Shelby Nelson
       
      When I am bored, I go to the pinterest app on my iphone and look for inspirations for new lesson ideas, units, crafts, plans, etc. You name it, and you can find new and exciting ideas. I also like to take the ideas and alter them just a little to fit into my classroom and make it fit with my needs. You're right Marie, teacher blogs are also FILLED with wonderful ideas. As a first year teacher, I have been able to incorporate so many different teaching techniques thanks to blogs and apps. I wouldn't be nearly as "creative" without them :-)
  • It’s a privilege to virtually “meet” so many other teachers with wisdom to offer.
    • Marie Collins
       
      I have learned so much from reading blogs or articles written by veteran teachers! They encourage me to try new ideas or to avoid my spur of the moment ideas because they have tried them before! You learn so much about how to become a better teacher when you have the ability to talk out the "problems" or ideas you face everyday!
    • Phil Tietjen
       
      @Marie - Which blogs do you like the best? How about sharing them with us via our course wiki :) https://edtec467.wikispaces.com/home
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  • You see… you don’t teach English. You teach kids. Flawed, messed-up, never perfect, wonderful, amazing kids. Every child you denigrated has something wonderful about them, even when you didn’t see it. Every child you insulted has worked hard at something, even if it wasn’t on the assignment you wanted them to work hard on. Every child you mocked has aspirations, even if they don’t match up with the ones you want them to have.
    • Melissa Glenn
       
      This part really hit home for me as I teach at a community college with some students who are first generation college students. I want to be encouraging and help them with their career and life goals. So, while they may not be children, I still need to respect their efforts and work with them in whatever way I can.
  • …provides me with a forum to clarify my thinking about the on-going classroom management and instructional challenges (see What Do You Do When You’re Having A Bad Day At School?) faced by me, and many other teachers in inner-city urban schools (and probably in many other schools, too).
    • Melissa Glenn
       
      To me this would be so helpful as opposed to having to wait for a meeting or conference to share ideas with my colleagues, we can share with each other (and those who are far way) much faster. Sometimes I have an idea I'd love to share and think that I should tell when of my colleagues. But in the business of the day, I often forget (yes, I'm getting old!). Blogging, especially in the evenings, would allow me to reflect and share these ideas at a more convenient time (and before they are forgotten).
  • sharing what I write about my students with my students is a clear indication that I really do think about them when I’m not in school, that I valued what they say and think, and that I am proud and want to tell others about them.
    • Shelby Nelson
       
      "I value what they say and think" I really should start a blog to share with my parents and school community. I could center it around only what my STUDENTS say and do in my classroom. Being 5 and 6, they come up with some very interesting things. Some posts would be quite humorous, while others could be stories and learning experiences. I often share with parents via e-mail things that come up throughout the school day and they get a kick out of it. The more I think about this, the more ideas start springing into my head :)
    • Melissa Glenn
       
      Shelby, my kids have had classroom blogs in some of their grades. I don't remember this in kindergarten, but it was the case in 1st grade. It was a great way for parents to see the amazing things the kids were doing in the classroom. I would wonder about privacy issues, because those 5 year olds will be teenagers before you know it and you wouldn't want some crazy kindergarten antics to be hanging out on the web.
    • Phil Tietjen
       
      Edublogs can be a good option (from what I know) when it comes to privacy concerns because they allow teachers to configure access permissions http://edublogs.org/ You can see some of the options here http://edublogs.org/privacy-and-security/
  • I believe that technology has its place, but also has to be kept in its place. I don’t think computers are a “magic bullet,”
    • Karen Yarbrough
       
      I really like this statement. It's important not to get lost in the flash and really find ways that technology can help teaching. I've overheard teens rolling their eyes and saying "Ms. _____ made us read blogs today. I bet she heard about that at some teacher meeting." They know when they are being force fed something without real value.
    • cherylanneburris
       
      I have seen a lot of classrooms rush to implementation only to find their lack of research and careful consideration only costed them precious time and resources.  Sometime the saying, fast is slow and slow is fast, applies to the implementation of technology too.
  • allows me to share resources that non-techy people like me can actually use.
    • Karen Yarbrough
       
      People sometimes assume that because you have a blog then you must be some kind of techy genius, but that's not the case. It's important that we break down the idea that only Comp Sci teachers can use technology.
    • Courtney Blackhurst
       
      Sharing resources can be the best thing for teachers.  We are limited to the learning culture that we reside in everyday.  It becomes status quo and therefore, we must readily seek new resources.
    • Courtney Blackhurst
       
      This is the reason for my response in Week 5 of our ELT class! This was the first thing that came to my mind. It's like the comment, "Never reply to an email the day you write the response. Reread it the next day and make corrections. Never reply in the heat of the moment." I'm so afraid that I would blog something that I would regret later and we all know that somethings online NEVER GO AWAY!
  • offers me additional writing opportunities on issues I have a particular passion about.
    • Courtney Blackhurst
       
      For a lot of teachers, getting published is a career aspiration. Blogs open teachers to the published world.  This can be a great way to get yourself out there.
  •  
    Good addition here! One of his reasons for blogging nicely coincides with our recent reading and discussion of Hsu, et al. on Web 2.0 as Cognitive Tools - i.e., "provides me with a forum to clarify my thinking about the on-going classroom management and instructional challenges" When he notes that blog writing helps to clarify his thinking, this is precisely what Hsu, et al. are getting at in their article.
Karen Yarbrough

BlogWalker - Five Tips for Helping Students Become Better Bloggers - 5 views

    • Erika Impagliatelli
       
      It's so easy to forget that most students are completely unfamiliar with the correct way to blog. Providing them with examples is imperative in order for them to know what is expected.
    • Phil Tietjen
       
      I like Tip #4 - "Invite students to share their strategies for bringing others into their conversations. Students need to know that far more bloggers will read their posts than will actually respond to them" Set up a rotating conversation where students share their strategies. Alternatively, bloggers from outside the classroom can be invited to share their strategies.
    • cherylanneburris
       
      I had never created a blog or even posted to one before this class.  In addition to these points for students, it is great for me as I learn myself as I strive to be better.
  • e sure to checkout Mark’s strategy of having blog reading as part of his SSR program.
    • Marie Collins
       
      I really like this idea of bringing blogs into Reading Workshop time. I already have a rotation set up where kids are either reading books at their desk, meeting with me to practice fluency passages, or reading at the carpet with a special bin of curriculum themed or holiday themed books. How neat would it be to add a separate group that could be on computers reading blogs! With this rotation, kids would not be doing it every day but would still be intrigued on the days it is their turn to be there!
  • nowing how to respectfully disagree is a skill that requires much practice – but can be essential to maintaining a positive digital footprint.
    • Marie Collins
       
      I can see this as an important introduction lesson to how to properly provide feedback to posts!
    • Melissa Glenn
       
      I don't know how many classrooms you have for the grade level, but for my kids they have five classrooms. If each classroom had a blog, it would allow sharing between classrooms of the same grade. That would be exciting socially as well. In 6 years at school, my son has some students that have never been in his class, so he doesn't know them very well. But sharing blogs could create a better grade learning community. Just a thought!
    • Shelby Nelson
       
      This is a good skill for all students to learn for life! Not just in a post online...but knowing how to respectfully disagree (and to accept disagreement yourself) can be very hard for kids.
    • anonymous
       
      I see a lot of this strategy (point-counterpoint, respectfully disagree, etc.) in our class blog. I'm not so sure all levels of education could employ it as effectively, but it's definitely a good idea to promote.
    • Phil Tietjen
       
      There are a number of researchers who argue that more of this needs to happen, i.e., instead of running away from the web, students need to learn how to effectively use it to build and maintain their own social presence, collaborate with others, develop solid "netizenship" skills. For example, this is what Jenkins is getting at when he talks about developing social media literacy.
  • ...6 more annotations...
    • Hannah Inzko
       
      Organizing students into groups and having them comment on each others blog posts is an effective way to avoid the "cool kids" syndrome. Or having them comment on posts of a certain topic from the start.
  • “me too” or “that’s cool”
    • Hannah Inzko
       
      I think that a comment expressing the "me too!" or "that's cool" feeling is a good thing, but chould be backed up with a "why" piece as well. A requirement that I sometimes impose is to "always give a reason" when posting an I agree comment.
    • Phil Tietjen
       
      Yes, it's important for the student to move beyond surface-level thinking and reflect on exactly why s/he agrees or disagrees. Reflection prompts the student to engage with the material on a deeper level and therefore higher order thinking processes.
  • When students don’t know who the “cool” kids are, typically, it is the thoughtfully-composed posts and comments that receive the most response.
    • Shelby Nelson
       
      This becomes very important once you hit middle school and high school. The name of the author shouldn't impact the comment that a student gives. This reminded me of a personal experience. I went to a very small private school (Juniata) here in PA which meant very small classes. I had one professor who got to know all of us very well and he always had his classes put their student ID number at the top of all papers instead of their names.. This way, he graded the papers first without knowing who wrote it. After, he would match up the ID's to our names. I respected this philosophy and had wished more professors did this.
    • anonymous
       
      That's a great idea, Shelby. Whether we realize it or not, there is an inherent bias in how we interact with and view others, both good and bad. That can come from both students and teachers, so while I think anonymous blogging isn't a good idea, perhaps using a different identifier than name can help alleviate some of these issues.
  • nclude reflection  and self-evaluation as part of the blogging process.
    • anonymous
       
      This is a crucial part. Without personal reflection, how can students grow? Evaluation allows the student to do more than just complete an assignment.
    • anonymous
       
      This is a crucial part. Without personal reflection, how can students grow? Evaluation allows the student to do more than just complete an assignment.
  • Teach students how to hyperlink.
    • Karen Yarbrough
       
      This had never occurred to me, but it makes sense.
cherylanneburris

Three Teachers' Answers to Questions on Classroom Microblogging - NYTimes.com - 2 views

    • Erika Impagliatelli
       
      The definition of literate has changed from simply being able to read, to being able to create meaning from images, to now being able to understand, create, and participate in discussions with information.
  • discuss the concept of a “digital footprint”: What one says, what one posts, leaves an impression forever.
    • Marie Collins
       
      I think this is a very important point. Students need to know that many people will be reading what they write. We can not just assume the students understand how blogging and communication via Web 2.0 tools work. We need to spend time teaching, showing examples, and modeling what it looks like to prepare them for success in these areas.
    • Melissa Glenn
       
      As a mother, this is why I would be fearful of an open blog environment in K-12. What if they post something silly and it comes up in ten years during a job interview? I try to watch what I post about my own kids as I don't want it to be used by someone else later. I actually ask them before I post something on Facebook about them!
    • Rachel Tan
       
      I agree with Marie about educating students on the use of Web 2.0 tools and the consequences so as to prepare them for success (thus reducing the risk of wrong / inappropriate use)
  • It is natural for young students to be slightly distracted by new technologies, but the “newness” wears off quickly. I remember a day when a student introduced the smiley face — — to a discussion, and the other kids were fascinated! A majority of the students lost focus of our activity and tried to make their own smiley faces. For this age group, many of the text symbols had never before been introduced. So, instead of immediately directing them back to our discussion, I took the opportunity to briefly explain text symbols and discuss appropriate usage, then we were able to get back on topic. For some students, our class time is the only exposure they have to computers.
    • Marie Collins
       
      I really like this story on how to approach primary student interests when using the computers. I can see many teachers becoming frustrated with their students lack of focus with accomplishing the given task. Instead, I believe this teacher did the right thing in finding the teachable moment in Smile Faces before grabbing the reigns back on the lesson. I can definitely see this happening in my classroom. I believe that is why it is important for primary teachers to start small on their expectations for Web 2.0 tools because we will be spending a lot of time on situations similar to this!
    • Rachel Tan
       
      A very good example of how to manage the distraction.  This is a great article and I'm sharing with my teacher friends. 
  • ...12 more annotations...
    • Rachel Tan
       
      Erin is in tune with 21st century learning needs and indicates she would use backchannelling as it is appropriate to the curriculum. She is mindful that  pedagogy precedes technology.  I would enjoy being in her class 
  • Social media is not replacing traditional conversation in the classroom. It is just one way to help facilitate it and add to it. It also allows for the conversation to occur outside of class hours and for those ideas to be discussed in class the next day.
    • Rachel Tan
       
      I am thinking about Singapore students in families that do not speak English at home. This would be a great use of technology to practice English with peers, at least in the written form. When I was growing up so many years ago, my family members do not speak English. It was really difficult to do well in school. Naturally I failed English in the national exam (age 16). It was not until I began work in an American firm at age 19 that I started to pick up on my English.
    • Melissa Glenn
       
      Rachel--I wonder if the use of a blog in the situation you described could allow the whole family to be involved in the learning. I know many of my online students enjoy sharing content with their families, especially the returning adult students who have teenage children.
    • Rachel Tan
       
      Dear Melissa, I like your idea of learning with family. In my case, my parents were both illiterate and my older siblings were sent to Chinese schools. But I shall remember your suggestion should there be any opportunity to share with others. Thank you :) 
  • I model what is appropriate
    • Justin Montgomery
       
      As educators, modeling proper use of technology that students mostly see as toys is essential in preparing them for work in the 21st century. As professionals, they will need to not only respect the tools for their productivity, communicative cabilities, and so forth, they will need to know how to use them properly. Teachers are responsible for establishing this kind of learning in the today's classroom.
    • Rachel Tan
       
      This is important in the learning process - reminds me of Bandura's social learning theory. 
  • A backchannel in my fourth-grade class is in addition to, not instead of, verbal communication. I’ve seen students build skills and confidence via written forms of communication that have later translated into vocal expression.
  • There will always be students who do not want to participate. My goal as a teacher is to find ways to encourage students to speak up, and social media might be the way I get those students to open up and start to speak in class.
    • Justin Montgomery
       
      Yes! These are the students I want to draw into classroom discussion. As research suggests, for example, female students are less likely to contribute their ideas in the classroom when male students dominate the conversation or there is a competitive atmosphere. For more than these reasons, however, I want to use social media as a way to engage my students in their learning.
    • Melissa Glenn
       
      Justin--Is there a particular age and subject area that you are referring to regarding females being less likely to contribute? I haven't seen this to be the case in my own classrooms or back when I was in school. In my daughter's 3rd grade class, the girls probably contribute to the discussion more often than the boys.
  • A backchannel is one of several tools I use. I do not use the backchannel every day or for every learning situation, nor is it ever the only means of conversation during a class session.
    • Justin Montgomery
       
      Technology is only one of several teaching tools used in the classroom. A teacher will use Web 2.0 resources when they aptly advance students' learning goals.
  • Twitter proved to be an asset in providing a global perspective. The students briefly watched a hashtag as the world reacted. In this particular instance, my students’ reactions were kept in private blog posts and oral discussion.
    • Justin Montgomery
       
      I'm interested in the educational use of Twitter. I like this example in the way it balances the public nature of the social network while allowing students to express their ideas in an enclosed educational forum.
    • cherylanneburris
       
      My daughter's teacher this past year used Twitter.  It was really helpful in keeping up with reminders, upcoming events, and hearing her "shout outs" of encouragement to the kids.
  • In this particular instance, my students’ reactions were kept in private blog posts and oral discussion.
    • Karen Yarbrough
       
      Using social media in this way can be very beneficial when they are going to be distracted by something anyone. It can be an important teachable moment. I think it's also important not to dwell too much and model the process of healthy concern and interest while still living life.
    • cherylanneburris
       
      I am not sure I know what a "backchannel" is in this instance.  Would someone explain it to me please?
  • s for monitoring, I can say that I have not had a problem from a single student (knock on wood). I go over the rules very clearly with my students and let them know of consequences for misuse of technology in my classroom.
    • cherylanneburris
       
      Part of a great classroom management plan is to establish clear rules and expectations from the beginning.  
cherylanneburris

Is K-12 blended learning disruptive?An introduction of the theory of hybrids | Christen... - 2 views

  • When this happens, the fundamental role of brick-and-mortar schools will pivot. Schools will focus more, for example, on providing well-kept facilities that students want to attend with great face-to-face support, high-quality meals, and a range of athletic, musical, and artistic programs and will leverage the Internet for instruction.
    • cherylanneburris
       
      This speaks to the collaborative direction many in education and industry are turning towards.  As Henry Jenkins stated in his blog on 1-19-11 that we read earlier, "...the role of educators needs to shift away from being an expert in a particular area of knowledge, to becoming an expert in the ability to create and shape new learning environments."  http://henryjenkins.org/2011/01/a_new_culture_of_learning_an_i.html
Erika Impagliatelli

Zombie Math Teacher - 0 views

  •  
    This is a wonderful Math/Technology/Education blog which I have referenced often for innovative ideas and thoughts regarding Mathematics education involving technology.
  •  
    I really appreciated the "social media citation" she included on her blog. That would be a very helpful tool for both classroom management.
Phil Tietjen

Toward A Networked Approach to Improving Education | DMLcentral - 0 views

  •  
    "aims to improve mathematical outcomes for all students by constructing engaging learning experiences that support the development of quantitative literacies"
Phil Tietjen

Thoughts on Pew's Latest Report on Teens: Notable Findings on Race and Privacy | DMLcen... - 0 views

  •  
    good post on a recent Pew report on teens & social media usage. Well worth reading.
Phil Tietjen

Learning Online in the Second Grade: Teacher Linda Yollis | DMLcentral - 2 views

  •  
    "Mrs. Yollis not only teaches her second-graders to blog (some of whom came into her class with blogging experience from Mrs. Levy's first grade blog), she teaches them - and her students make videos to teach others - about raising the level of online discourse through quality blog comments"
  • ...2 more comments...
  •  
    For those interested in Web 2.0 tools for primary grades ...
  •  
    My daughter is in the 3rd grade and my son is in the 5th grade. They have both occasionally used blogs at school to post about classroom activities. These weren't personal blogs but were set up by the teacher so that parents could feel involved and the students could get some additional writing experience. For them, this was a lot more fun than just having to write on paper. However, the blogs would often start out great with posts at regular times, but then it would get to be less and less and then stop. Seems as though there is too much to do and not enough time to get it done! On a side note, I was already looking into how to do a wordle for our next blog post and my daughter told me that she has done those lots of times at school! So, it is nice to learn from my 3rd grader about some of these tools!
  •  
    One thing that really stands out to me is Mrs. Yollis is overcoming the fear of using the blogs in her class by providing education on how to blog (example: video on commenting) and teaching personal responsibility (ex: how to have a positive digital footprint). That is a great example for any grade or age.
  •  
    It seems like I am constantly butting heads in real life with people who still don't grasp that what is said online matters. We've all been regular Internet users for 15 years, and these people still don't get that online discourse should be more than trolling. I would hope that more classes like this one at all ages could help to change the culture.
cherylanneburris

10 Tips for Attracting More Comments - Performancing - 0 views

    • Rachel Tan
       
      I fully agree with the writer but I can't locate my annotation to respond to the comment given on epic 2020. Allow me to say it here - thank you for your comment
  • Will be pretty ironic if my post about attracting comments goes without being commented on!
    • cherylanneburris
       
      I wonder why he has only received 52 comments and replied 3 times since posting this in 2006?
Phil Tietjen

Teachers, Youth, and Social Media: Experiments | DMLcentral - 1 views

  •  
    "space2cre8"
  •  
    Outside of Edmodo, I am struggling to think of ways social networking is used in classrooms here locally in Whispering Pines, NC. Stornaiuolo's comment in the video that students are watching but not commenting may be what I am seeing here locally but further comments made by her may also have revealed the solution. "How do you talk to people" may hold the key, at least in theory, as I talk to my daughter about why she doesn't comment more on Edmodo. My daughter stated that she was concerned about making a mistake since "it would be on the internet like forever. Mom, there is no such thing as a mistake on the internet, just regrets you have to live with forever that everyone knows about and no one forgets or will let you forget about." Interesting...thought provoking...
Phil Tietjen

How Teachers Are Using Technology at Home and in Their Classrooms | Pew Research Center... - 3 views

  •  
    Here's one statistic in the report that I think has particular relevance to our class - "... 69% say the internet has a "major impact" on their ability to share ideas with other teachers"
  • ...4 more comments...
  •  
    I was interested in the statistic of, "Teachers of low income students, however, are much less likely than teachers of the highest income students to use tablet computers (37% v. 56%) or e-readers (41% v. 55%) in their classrooms and assignments." I teach at a community college, so I find this to be a major issue.
  •  
    @Melissa - do most of your students bring their own computers, or do they use the labs on campus?
  •  
    Most of my students use lab computers while on campus, but many have their own computers at home. Very few have tablets or laptops that they carry with them--best estimate is 5-10% that bring laptops/tablets to classes. I have some online students who come to campus or use public libraries to complete their work.
  •  
    At NIE we train student teachers for 21st Century Teacher Education and so all students are provided a laptop. That I found out recently via http://youtu.be/WGRYAFZbsko
  •  
    I found this statement to be interesting: "In terms of community type, teachers in urban areas are the least likely to say their students have sufficient access to digital tools IN SCHOOL, while rural teachers are the least likely to say their students have sufficient access AT HOME." Why do you supposed this is?
  •  
    @cheryl - might be because broadband access is not as widely available in rural areas as urban - e.g., "Because of relatively low population density, topographical barriers, and greater geographical distances, broadband service may be more difficult to obtain in some rural areas" http://www.broadband.gov/rural_areas.html
Melissa Glenn

Scholars Sound the Alert From the 'Dark Side' of Tech Innovation - Technology - The Chr... - 2 views

  •  
    This is a good piece in the Chronicle of Higher Ed. MOOCs have definitely generated considerable buzz especially in higher ed, with both detractors and enthusiastic proponents. It will be interesting to see how it all pans out. Because MOOCs are still in their very early stages, there's very little in the way of empirical research and so it seems to me there's still a lot of work to be done in sorting out the hype from reality. Also interesting in this piece is the discussion of "scam baiting" which I haven't heard too much about. Have you had any experience with this?
cherylanneburris

Every Every Every Generation Has Been the Me Me Me Generation - Elspeth Reeve - The Atl... - 3 views

  • Because the media industry is high-status, but, at least early on, very low pay in a very expensive city, it attracts a lot of rich kids.
    • cherylanneburris
       
      I have often wondered how kids can afford no/low paying internships that require a full workload for multiple years in a big city.  Forgive my ignorance, there is not a lot of that in Whispering Pines, NC.
  •  
    This is a very interesting rebuttal of the Time Magazine article that I just read (it just showed up in the mailbox)! However, sometimes it does feel as those students today expect more from faculty and their classes. I have heard comments such as, "I pay you to tell me the correct answer." Every year, I get more demands for aids such as practice tests, videos, tutoring, more review sessions, additional extra credit, etc. This is true for my colleagues as well. But, I can't extrapolate that across all institutions, it may just be a problem in my own area.
  •  
    I'm not always sure it's that students that are getting more demanding, but maybe survival of the fittest with all of the competition out there. Right now, students are passing classes, not based on what they've learned, but based on the grade they receive on their exams. If we want them to be processing and acting on the information in class, we have to assess them on that, until then they will do what they need to do to get that passing grade.
CJ Marchione

Minds on Fire: Open Education, the Long Tail, and Learning 2.0 (EDUCAUSE Review) | EDUC... - 22 views

    • Erika Impagliatelli
       
      As a huge fan of Amazon and NetFlix, these examples were especially appreciated. NetFlix's variety of films including many excellent not-mainstream flicks has allowed the service to fulfill many consumers' entertainment needs without a DirecTV, Blockbuster, or RedBox. These are fantastic analogies for not-mainstream educational artifacts reaching learners thanks to the Internet. 
    • Phil Tietjen
       
      David Wiley is pretty well known, especially in the area of "Open Learning" In fact, he spoke at PSU's Teaching & Learning with Tech Symposium in 2009 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcRctjvIeyQ
  • While the lectures are being played on a monitor (which is often powered by a battery, since many participating schools also lack reliable electricity), a “mediator,” who could be a local teacher or simply a bright student, periodically pauses the video and encourages engagement among the students by asking questions or initiating discussions about the material they are watching.
    • Hannah Inzko
       
      This is very typical of the "Flipping the Classroom" technique and can just as easily be done without the use of technology, though it does make it a little more interesting. It is interesting to me that we have such a hard time convincing faculty to try this method when schools with little to no resources will try just about anything.
    • Melissa Glenn
       
      This concept is also not new, as video conferencing has been used in distance education for decades. Although electricity and a cable or satellite hook-up is necessary for video conferencing, mobile phones can allow for this type interaction in more rural areas. A 2010 study that I read for another course looked at the use of mobile phones to teach rural women in India about setting up small enterprises in sheep and goat farming. While much of the technology was used for content delivery, it also allowed for some participation by the women. Balasubramanian, K., Thamizoli, P., Umar, A., & Kanwar, A. (2010). Using mobile phones to promote lifelong learning among rural women in Southern India. Distance Education, 31(2), 193-209. doi: 10.1080/01587919.2010.502555
    • Melissa Glenn
       
      Hannah--I also love "flipping the classroom", as it saves precious in class time for interaction as opposed to delivery. I think I would do much more of it, but my lecture size is between 96-120 for most of my classes. The students feel very afraid to ask questions and engage in that size of a class.
    • Karen Yarbrough
       
      Melissa: Do you think using a system like the above Terra Incognita for small group discussions would be beneficial to your large classes? Have you used anything like that before now?
    • Melissa Glenn
       
      Karen--I'm not sure as currently discussion works better in the smaller group labs. I have all of the students from my large lecture in a small group lab once a week so that helps. We are looking at doing some "flipping the classroom" types of activities to save lecture time and allow more time for discussion. I don't teach the large size class until September so there is definitely time to change some of the format.
    • Amii_Eunsung Park
       
      Melissa--That reminds me of one of my professors who gives a lecture to more than 100 students. I am not sure what your subject is and whether you have tried below before. But he uses his website where anyone in classroom ask any questions. His students post their questions a few minutes before break time and during break time, professor checks the comments and pick some questions which is highly ranked.
    • Rachel Tan
       
      Amii, Melissa- to engage students in large class you can use back-channels (twitter hash tags, clickers, Blackboard has a feature to collect SMS) that the instructor can flash on a screen
    • Melissa Glenn
       
      I have colleagues that use clickers, but many of us are not willing to require clickers due to the additional cost. And using something through a cell phone is also difficult as not everyone has one or doesn't have a smartphone that allows for the use of many of these tools. It is definitely a different world in community colleges as we are trying to do the best we can with limited resources. We also have a very different pool of students--from traditional to returning adult. Some of my 50 year old students don't even like to or know how to email.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      These comments remind me of an article posted on Wired (http://www.wired.com/2013/10/free-thinkers/all/----same). It is about a school teacher in Mexico that was tired of the standarize testing and teaching. In one year, he took a class of 5th graders that performed badly on the standarized test to having some of the highest scores in the country, including one girl who scored the highest in the country in math. The teacher was inspired by Sugta Mitra's TED Talk titled, "Build a School in the Cloud".
    • Lindsey Jordan
       
      I also love the flipped classroom! We have 2 teachers who flip this year, and I'll be joining the adventure next year. I think it's a great idea to have students learn the basic facts at home. Then while in school, they can complete the reinforcing activities. The teacher can spend class time reinforcing the material, and also pulling small groups to help those in need and give enrichment to those who can gain from it. Too much time is spent in class memorizing facts. I can't wait to use my class time to reinforce what they learned the night before.
  • The Cartesian perspective assumes that knowledge is a kind of substance and that pedagogy concerns the best way to transfer this substance from teachers to students. By contrast, instead of starting from the Cartesian premise of “I think, therefore I am,” and from the assumption that knowledge is something that is transferred to the student via various pedagogical strategies, the social view of learning says, “We participate, therefore we are.”
    • Melissa Glenn
       
      I was especially struck with this idea of a shift in pedagogical strategies since in laboratory science teaching there is always a participatory element. The lecture setting does still work to present and transfer knowledge, but the lab setting allows for social interaction in student groups to apply the content. However, in online classes, I have not found a similar way to form lab groups in the laboratory simulation environment.
    • anonymous
       
      This reminds me of the old saying "Tell me, I'll forget. Show me, I'll remember. Involve me, I'll understand." The traditional "sage on stage" approach to learning is very one way and treats knowledge as an article to be passed from one person to another. I think the social view of learning has more value in that it involves experimentation and trial and error to learn. However, I completely agree with you, Michelle, in that recreating these social/lab groups is something that is lacking in Web 2.0 learning.
    • Rachel Tan
       
      Referring to 'We participate, therefore we are" it is fantastic that students can take responsibility for their own learning through the affordances provided by Web 2.0 technology.
    • Marie Collins
       
      I wish I could take information about this approach to my administration. I believe that this selection directly relates to education in America. We have created a "norm" for learning which looks like a single teacher standing in the front of the classroom, lecturing to students who are sitting and listening in nice straight rows of desks. Having the administration come in to classrooms looking for "order" is against this philosophy that in order to create a social/interactive classroom, it may look chaotic!
    • kmlambert
       
      Another saying that I find relates to this is "Give a man a fish, and he'll eat for a day.  Teach a man to fish, and he'll eat for a lifetime."  It highlights that by teaching the man to fish, he will be able to fish on his own every day after to feed his family and survive. 
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  • Nor is it likely that the current methods of teaching and learning will suffice to prepare students for the lives that they will lead in the twenty-first century.
    • Hannah Inzko
       
      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.
    • anonymous
       
      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.
    • Melissa Glenn
       
      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.
    • jnb196
       
      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,
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      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.
    • snc520
       
      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.
    • jasmccord
       
      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.
  • For the past few years, he points out, incoming students have been bringing along their online social networks, allowing them to stay in touch with their old friends and former classmates through tools like SMS, IM, Facebook, and MySpace. Through these continuing connections, the University of Michigan students can extend the discussions, debates, bull sessions, and study groups that naturally arise on campus to include their broader networks. Even though these extended connections were not developed to serve educational purposes, they amplify the impact that the university is having while also benefiting students on campus.14
    • Melissa Glenn
       
      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!
    • Phil Tietjen
       
      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
    • Melissa Glenn
       
      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.
    • Marie Collins
       
      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!
    • Courtney Blackhurst
       
      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.
  • We are entering a world in which we all will have to acquire new knowledge and skills on an almost continuous basis.
    • anonymous
       
      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. 
    • Phil Tietjen
       
      Good point. What kinds of new professions, occupations are being created by these new knowledge opportunities?
    • kmlambert
       
      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.   
  • New kinds of online resources—such as social networking sites, blogs, wikis, and virtual communities—have allowed people with common interests to meet, share ideas, and collaborate in innovative ways
    • anonymous
       
      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?
    • Phil Tietjen
       
      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)
    • Courtney Blackhurst
       
      I love Web 2.0 for creation of projects. I'll be interested to see what we can do with exchanges of ideas.
    • Marie Collins
       
      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!
    • Amii_Eunsung Park
       
      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..
    • cherylanneburris
       
      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.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      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.
  • In this open environment, both the content and the process by which it is created are equally visible, thereby enabling a new kind of critical reading—almost a new form of literacy—that invites the reader to join in the consideration of what information is reliable and/or important.
    • anonymous
       
      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."
    • Rachel Tan
       
      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.
    • Marie Collins
       
      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!
    • Courtney Blackhurst
       
      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. 
    • Justin Montgomery
       
      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.
    • cherylanneburris
       
      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).
    • Phil Tietjen
       
      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
    • kristiemcgarry
       
      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.
    • Phil Tietjen
       
      @kristiemcgarry +1
  • From the customers’ standpoint, online enterprises offering unprecedented choice are able to cater much more efficiently to individual tastes and interests than any brick-and-mortar store.
    • anonymous
       
      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.
    • Courtney Blackhurst
       
      Especially with different styles of learners, Web 2.0 tools can allow us to tap into all of the different ways that students learn.
  • We need to construct shared, distributed, reflective practicums in which experiences are collected, vetted, clustered, commented on, and tried out in new contexts.
  • This new form of learning begins with the knowledge and practices acquired in school but is equally suited for continuous, lifelong learning that extends beyond formal schooling. Indeed, such an environment might encourage students to readily and happily pick up new knowledge and skills as the world shifts beneath them.
    • anonymous
       
      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.
    • Shelby Nelson
       
      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.
    • Karen Yarbrough
       
      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.
    • Justin Montgomery
       
      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.
  • Fortunately, various initiatives launched over the past few years have created a series of building blocks that could provide the means for transforming the ways in which we provide education and support learning. Much of this activity has been enabled and inspired by the growth and evolution of the Internet, which has created a global “platform” that has vastly expanded access to all sorts of resources, including formal and informal educational materials. The Internet has also fostered a new culture of sharing, one in which content is freely contributed and distributed with few restrictions or costs.
    • Rachel Tan
       
      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
    • Karen Yarbrough
       
      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?
    • kmlambert
       
      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.   
    • Phil Tietjen
       
      @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
    • Courtney Blackhurst
       
      If this is true, our world is in for a rude awakening. I'm teaching of the reasons for social class stratification right now in my sociology course. Uneducated population will simply add to this strain.
    • Rachel Tan
       
      It is a rude awakening and it seems the solution is open education where good universities make their courses available on the internet, making education accessible to all.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      I'd be cursious to see what this number is now, seeing how this article was written in 2008 and it is six years later, almost a decade.
    • Christina Webster
       
      Agreed.  I feel like the progression has made things a lot more accessible and there has to be a lower number 6 years later.  Then again...I could be wrong.
    • jasmccord
       
      So this quote from Sir John Daniel was made in 1996? This was my senior year in high school so I suppose I fit into this population. Assuming again that the quote was made about the world in 1996, what do you think the numbers would look like today?
  • In this system, students work together in a common space and peripherally participate in each other’s design process; hence they can benefit from their instructors’ comments on and critiques of other students’ projects and not just from comments on their own work.
    • jnb196
       
      This method is great because it allows for schema reformation at a whole different level. A person may have a misconception in relation to some area and may never know until they have the opportunity to represent they idea. In this environment the tutor if realligning misconceptions that of not only the student he corrects but also of the other student who may have the same unrepresented misconception.
    • Courtney Blackhurst
       
      I like this idea. I would really enjoy being able to see the comments on others work - it helps me when I create my own projects.
    • Shelby Nelson
       
      To add to this: Not only would seeing comments and critiques of other students projects be beneficial, it would also be beneficial for classmates to be able to critique their peers projects. When I did my student teaching, we had "author's circle" where every child got a chance to read their writing to their classmates. At the conclusion of their reading, they would call on two classmates to give them feedback. As a teacher, I noticed that the students took their peers feedback very seriously and they wanted to improve their writing with the help of their peers (not only the teacher).
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      I also had experience with this in a creative writing enlgish course in my undergraduate studies. Each writing assignment was also critiqued by several other classmates before the professor would even take a look at it. This way, we were able to hand in a well-round piece of writing that had other people's eyes check it out too.l
    • snc520
       
      This ties in with another comment I made above. My students use Google Docs for writing assignments and share with each other to proofread and edit their writing. They love being able to receive feedback from their peers!
  • ocial learning is based on the premise that our understanding of content is socially constructed through conversations about that content and through grounded interactions, especially with others, around problems or actions. The focus is not so much on what we are learning but on how we are learning.5
    • jnb196
       
      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.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      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.
    • kmlambert
       
      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.   
    • snc520
       
      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!
    • Marie Collins
       
      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.
  • Light discovered that one of the strongest determinants of students’ success in higher education—more important than the details of their instructors’ teaching styles—was their ability to form or participate in small study groups.
    • Courtney Blackhurst
       
      This contradicts most of what research as shown for a while.  I'll be interested to see where this pans out.
    • cherylanneburris
       
      For me, this never worked.  I may be the outlier though.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      This never worked for me either. And I don't believe this is entirely accurate for all people. A great video to watch is Susan Cain's TED talk, "The Power of Introverts". There is a great part in there in which she talks about how the world is designed for extroverts. Group work in schools favor extroverts. How the classroom is arranged favors extroverts. What about the introverts that do better by themselves or need that extra time to think by themselves. http://www.ted.com/talks/susan_cain_the_power_of_introverts
    • kmlambert
       
      Greatly enjoyed Cain's TED talk, and started (but not finished her book, Quiet).  As a shy, quiet, insecure K-12 student I hated having to talk in front of others, especially other students I didn't know.  Are moving towards a framework where group work will be more prominent than self-directed work in educational and professional situations?         
  • The demand-pull approach is based on providing students with access to rich (sometimes virtual) learning communities built around a practice. It is passion-based learning, motivated by the student either wanting to become a member of a particular community of practice or just wanting to learn about, make, or perform something.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      Some great learning communities can be found on Google+ and Reddit. You can search for all sorts of topics and they are filled with a wealth of scholars, professionals, or passionate people. Reddit is more on the fun/entertainment side, but there are some great, informative subredits out there. Google+ is designed more for the eudcational realm and has a ton of great educational learning communites that anyone can join.
    • kmlambert
       
      I like the phrase passion-based learning.  After attending a workshop based on the book "Strengths Finder 2.0"  by Tom Rath, I discovered that I am a learner.  I can pinpoint many previous experiences where I sought out learning opportunities .  If this passion-based learning was encouraged more during K-12 settings, it would be more enjoyable for students and teachers.    
    • Courtney Blackhurst
       
      Knowledge is expected in todays world.  Because of the amount of information at our fingertips, literally, we are expected for find answers before new problems arise.  Students need to be taught in this manner to live in a web-based society.
    • Karen Yarbrough
       
      That's why information literacy is so important. Learners need to be able to instantly evaluate new materials on their own without depending on anyone else to tell them what to think. There is so much available, and we have to be able to think critically about anything we come across on or off the Internet.
    • cherylanneburris
       
      Sometimes I think research literacy is as important as information literacy.
  • Perhaps the best known example is Wikipedia, the online “open source” encyclopedia that has challenged the supremacy of commercial encyclopedias
    • Karen Yarbrough
       
      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.
  • Few of us today will have a fixed, single career; instead, we are likely to follow a trajectory that encompasses multiple careers
    • Justin Montgomery
       
      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.
    • Melissa Glenn
       
      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.
    • cherylanneburris
       
      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.
    • kmlambert
       
      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.  
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      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!
  • Open Educational Resources (OER) movement, which has provided free access to a wide range of courses and other educational materials to anyone who wants to use them
    • Justin Montgomery
       
      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.
    • Rachel Tan
       
      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
    • kristiemcgarry
       
      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.
    • kmlambert
       
      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/
    • Phil Tietjen
       
      @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
    • anonymous
       
      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?
    • anonymous
       
      I enjoy the iTunes U courses also! :)
  • This encourages the practice of what John Dewey called “productive inquiry”—that is, the process of seeking the knowledge when it is needed in order to carry out a particular situated task
  • The e-Science movement is providing students with access to expensive and scarce high-level tools, giving them the opportunity to engage in the kinds of research conducted by professional scientists
    • Justin Montgomery
       
      This initiative accomplishes the learning need of real-world relevant as well as training on tools similar to those used on the work world.
    • Phil Tietjen
       
      NASA, Jet Propulsion Lab, and the Santa Fe Institute are doing some interesting work on this front, e.g., collaborations with schools that involve applied, authentic learning projects of one sort or another
  • ‘playful’ learning
    • Justin Montgomery
       
      Learning and play go very well together, especially because in play mode, there's no fear of failure. Encouragement to explore and try out new things is the expectation.
    • cherylanneburris
       
      Since "everything I needed to learn, I learned in Kindergarten", I think playful learning can be added to the list.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      I love playful learning and if you follow gamification, you can see it becoming very big, espeically with badging. I hope to see elementary and middle schools adopt more of a playful learning style as there is no fear of failure, yet our standarize testing system has "punishments" for getting worng answers.
    • kmlambert
       
      Agreed.  The form of play is the basis of all learning.  We can see this in the animal kingdom and with human children.  Lion cubs learn to pounce on each other, as they would on prey.  Human children play with blocks, and legos to learn various forms of developmental skills.   
  • The power of peer review had been brought to bear on the assignments.
    • Justin Montgomery
       
      People are genetically wired to be social creatures.
  • Finding and joining a community that ignites a student’s passion can set the stage for the student to acquire both deep knowledge about a subject (“learning about”) and the ability to participate in the practice of a field through productive inquiry and peer-based learning (“learning to be”)
  • Often the learning that transpires is informal rather than formally conducted in a structured setting
    • Justin Montgomery
       
      Teaching how to be self learners is essential from an early age to accomplish this goal. Traits include internal locus of control for motivation and self discipline for things such as time management and task completion.
  • world has become increasingly “flat,”
    • cherylanneburris
       
      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?
    • anonymous
       
      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.
  • well-educated workforce with the requisite competitive skills
    • cherylanneburris
       
      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.
    • jasmccord
       
      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?
  • The latest evolution of the Internet, the so-called Web 2.0, has blurred the line between producers and consumers of content and has shifted attention from access to information toward access to other people
    • cherylanneburris
       
      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/  
  • active, passion-based learning
    • cherylanneburris
       
      When passion is injected into learning it no longer becomes a chore or a job but an experience.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      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."
    • jbueter
       
      I like the idea of "passion-based learning" since this kind of internal exigency produces really strong work from students.
    • snc520
       
      I do too! When anyone is passionate about something it makes it less of a chore and more enjoyable!
    • dmwentroble
       
      While the internet has provided us with a wealth of information, the internet is not always correct. Let us remember that anyone can enter information on the internet whether they are qualified or not.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      This is true, but it is also becoming easier to check online sources. Take Wikipedia as an example. I use Wikipedia quite often for personal as well as school use. However, I ususally check the sources at the bottom of the page and check that source as well. I do agree that the internet is not always correct, but I think a sense of accountability comes with using the interenet.
  • If King is right, it makes sense for colleges and universities to consider how they can leverage these new connections through the variety of social software platforms that are being established for other reasons.
  • leverage
  • If King is right, it makes sense for colleges and universities to consider how they can leverage these new connections through the variety of social software platforms that are being established for other reasons.
    • dmwentroble
       
      While it makes sense for colleges and universities to use social media and social software platforms, it makes me wonder how this can be incorporated into the elementary setting. Young students can also benefit from social learning but the cost of the technology is often the sticking point for most districts.
  • By enabling students to collaborate with working scientists, this movement provides a platform for the “learning to be” aspect of social learning. For example, the Faulkes Telescope Project, sponsored by the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network, provides students in the United Kingdom with free access to two high-powered robotic telescopes, one in Hawaii and the other in Australia, which the students are able to use remotely to carry out their own scientific investigations (http://faulkes-telescope.com/).
    • dmwentroble
       
      I love the fact that students are able to see and connect with the real world through social technology. This gives a student who is pondering their future a chance to see various paths they can take to have a successful career.
  • online social networks that have attracted millions of young people
    • dmwentroble
       
      I find this interesting. I work with very young children...8 years old and they are already using the social networking devices to talk to their friends. I set up a kidsblog in my classroom and I found them using it daily to discuss their homework, etc. with one another. Start early and the future will be brighter.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      This is quite interesting that the children are using blogs to discuss their homework with another. I find that facinating. I think cloud schooling is the future, although the brick and mortar school will never go away, schools will look completely different in 20 years.
  • This perspective shifts the focus of our attention from the content of a subject to the learning activities and human interactions around which that content is situated. This perspective also helps to explain the effectiveness of study groups
    • dmwentroble
       
      This is the same as running centers in an elementary classroom. The students interact and learn from each other.
  • A current example of an attempt to harness the power of study groups in a virtual environment is the Terra Incognita project of the University of Southern Queensland (Australia), which has built a classroom in Second Life, the online virtual world that has attracted millions of users.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      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.
    • anonymous
       
      This sounds like an awesome course! You met in an actual building? Was this a resident course or is it offered online?
  • Although about 40,000 students are enrolled in classes on the university’s campus in Ann Arbor, King believes that the actual number of students being reached by the school today is closer to 250,000.
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      Another great example of this at Penn State is World in Conversation. World in Conversation has classes and projects set up where students on campus sit in a room with a television and video conference students at another university on the other side of the world and have a discussion, usually about controversial topics such as race and poverty.
  • Tools such as blogs, wikis, social networks, tagging systems, mashups, and content-sharing sites
    • Zach Lonsinger
       
      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.
  • The recorded lectures provide the educational content, and the local mediators stimulate the interaction that actively engages the students and increases the likelihood that they will develop a real understanding of the lecture material through focused conversation.
    • kristiemcgarry
       
      The school where I work is doing something almost identical with a product purchased from the private company Edgenuity -- recorded lectures and online learning facilitated by classroom teachers in all subject areas -- piloted this year with a small group and next year will be rolled out school-wide.
  • Learning to Be through e-Science and e-Humanities
    • kristiemcgarry
       
      I shared these links with the Science team at my school
  • can take on the role of teacher to help other group members benefit from their understanding
  • participatory medium that is ideal for supporting multiple modes of learning
    • jbueter
       
      I think this is key. Web 2.0 can allow for visual learners to succeed, sure, but the participatory part probably helps many students.
    • jbueter
       
      I like the use of infographs/cartoons here. A "practice-what-you-teach" kind of moment.
  • Becoming a trusted contributor to Wikipedia involves a process of legitimate peripheral participation that is similar to the process in open source software communities. Any reader can modify the text of an entry or contribute new entries. But only more experienced and more trusted individuals are invited to become “administrators” who have access to higher-level editing tools.
    • jbueter
       
      One of the better descriptions of how the Wikipedia contributor process works. Although, I wonder how much it has changed.
  • This experiment suggests one way that the social life of Internet-based virtual education can coexist with and extend traditional education.
    • jbueter
       
      This model seems more tenable than other MOOCs, especially one's that require proctors.
    • CJ Marchione
       
      Being able to (practically) instantly communicate to faculty and students in the virtual world is inviting, in comparison to many of the forums that MOOCs offer. Certainly, forums are a valuable tool for asking and responding to questions and ideas, but the reduction of steps and time it takes to communicate is inviting to me. Interacting with a virtual, on-screen character also seems more involving than responding to a 50x50 icon, too (not to knock on forums and blogs, of course; rather, to comment on how this use of a virtual world is an evolution of the practice.)
  • Students can send to Illinois any insects (or other small creatures) that they have captured, then log on with their computers to control the microscope in real time and view their specimens (
    • jbueter
       
      Since I come from the Humanities, it is interesting to see how the sciences can use the interactive element of the internet.
    • snc520
       
      I love this idea! even though I don't teach science, I feel like young lower-elementary students would really enjoy watching whatever little creature they caught. It's like having a class pet without having to actually care for it!
  • The demand-pull approach is based on providing students with access to rich (sometimes virtual) learning communities built around a practice. It is passion-based learning, motivated by the student either wanting to become a member of a particular community of practice or just wanting to learn about, make, or perform something.
  • earning might appear to be extremely resource-intensive
    • jbueter
       
      Certainly a smart observation by Brown, but it is probably more complicated than he makes it out to be. There are various levels of paywalls for certain Web 2.0 tools.
  • it has also become “spikier”: the places that are globally competitive are those that have robust local ecosystems of resources supporting innovation and productiveness.2
    • kmlambert
       
      "Spikier" produces a great image, but would be curious to know which countries or major cities have the greatest spikes then and now.    
  • Typically, 20 percent of titles generate 80 percent of all sales, which means that most revenue comes from the “fat” part of the tail and that most of the costs of operation come from maintaining the inventory in the “long” part of the tail.
    • kmlambert
       
      I found this to be an interesting analogy.  Currently, my library is purchasing more of the bestselling titles, and fewer of the educationally interesting titles because patron demand is driving it.    
  • Demand-pull learning shifts the focus to enabling participation in flows of action, where the focus is both on “learning to be” through enculturation into a practice as well as on collateral learning.
  • In addition to supporting lecture-style teaching, Terra Incognita includes the capability for small groups of students who want to work together to easily “break off” from the central classroom before rejoining the entire class. Instructors can “visit” or send messages to any of the breakout groups and can summon them to rejoin the larger group.
    • anonymous
       
      This opportunity to network makes me wonder about language barriers/education/voice translation technologies.
  • In addition to supporting lecture-style teaching, Terra Incognita includes the capability for small groups of students who want to work together to easily “break off” from the central classroom before rejoining the entire class. Instructors can “visit” or send messages to any of the breakout groups and can summon them to rejoin the larger group.
  • In addition to supporting lecture-style teaching, Terra Incognita includes the capability for small groups of students who want to work together to easily “break off” from the central classroom before rejoining the entire class. Instructors can “visit” or send messages to any of the breakout groups and can summon them to rejoin the larger group.
  • In addition to supporting lecture-style teaching, Terra Incognita includes the capability for small groups of students who want to work together to easily “break off” from the central classroom before rejoining the entire class. Instructors can “visit” or send messages to any of the breakout groups and can summon them to rejoin the larger group.
  • Whereas traditional schools offer a finite number of courses of study, the “catalog” of subjects that can be learned online is almost unlimited.
    • jnb196
       
      Penn State's " Certificate in Educational Technology Integration" is one such course which I wasn't available to in my physical environment.
    • anonymous
       
      Embracing challenge for continuous quality improvement/learning.
  • They are able to maintain inventories of products—books, movies, and music—that are many times greater than can be offered by any conventional store.
    • anonymous
       
      I notice Wal-Mart and Sears online offering products from other online stores in their store.
  • Learning 2.0
  • The most profound impact of the Internet, an impact that has yet to be fully realized, is its ability to support and expand the various aspects of social learning.
  •  
    Educause: Minds On Fire, by Brown & Adler
  •  
    It is amazing to read this 2008 article for the first time and see how much has transpired in the global educational landscape with regards to open education. Where Web 1.0 expanded access to information, Web 2.0 transformed learning with these affordances: participation, interaction, collaboration, social learning... If Web 3.0 is coming - what will it be? The motivation for Coursera.org is very touching - I stumbled into this YouTube video - Daphne Koller: What we're learning from online education (http://youtu.be/U6FvJ6jMGHU)
  •  
    EDUCAUSE Review Online
Phil Tietjen

Is Threadlife the Social Video App to Finally Rule Them All? - 0 views

  •  
    "The free iPhone app launched Wednesday. Once you fire up Threadlife, you can start recording your three-second clips, called "stitches." Those are then combined into the playlists, called "threads." One master thread will store all your clips chronologically, or you can break out separate, smaller ones for specific events or themes. Multiple friends can also contribute to one thread to share experiences from afar"
  •  
    I wonder when/if there will be an Android version? I'm not an iPhone user!
  •  
    Thank you for sharing this app. This has fit so nicely with my ADTED 449 Course, Video in the Classroom. It is so easy to use.
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