HGSET561

mooc.org is an edX destination through a partnership with Google to power the online learning revolution.

I spent some time poking around BrainPOP's GameUp page (BrainPOP creates educational flash videos and resources to be used in classrooms, in case you didn't know). Some are pretty cool examples of gamifying learning concepts, while others feel a little clunkier. I enjoyed poking around, so I thought I'd share.

In a few years, when we all own 3D printers and can download and print any number of objects (including 20,000 year old fossils), what will the implications be for teaching and learning when we can present our students and our teachers with the physical manifestations of things we've traditionally learned and taught about only in the abstract through textbooks or videos?

Another interesting application of AR

It would be great to have AR of this type in classrooms for students to use, but I also think of how helpful it would be for teachers! I imagine it could really help manage student academic information, as well as encourage collaboration and a more open classroom.

Augmented reality is bridging divide between signing and non-signing communities.

These services could be a help or a hindrance depending on the quality of their advice

MOOCs are losing momentum as word spreads that they are not wonderful, but a popular topic still can get a big initial enrollment.

Are MOOCs really losing momentum? It seems as if there is still a lot of hype in the media about it, and campuses are continuing to add classes based on the MOOC concept. Even here at HGSE, there is talk of MOOC type classes.

This MOOC has a better design than most, and I could get one of the leaders to teleconference with T561, if desired.

I think a live teleconference would be great!

This seems a logical next step

This is an unsuccessful attempt to reinvent learning theories. Shows how the field is not good at building on established knowledge.

I had a chance to do some research on these guys this past summer and it's pretty cool stuff. The TECHbooks (see what they did there...) are basically super intuitive tablets filled over 160,000 leveled lessons - all of which are aligned to Common Core State Standards (if you're in to that, as 45/50 states are). Combine them with a Discovery Streaming license and you get over 100,000 multimedia assets which are downloadable & accessible from anywhere. I wouldn't necessarily call it "transformative" just yet, but it presents a compelling case for digital in the print vs. digital debate.

op-ed that centers on the concept of "students need to understand that failure is a part of life." A nice take away is that playing it safe and not taking risks will restrict news ideas and new practices.

Duncan pushes technology verbally, but does not act on the national ed tech plan and has eliminated funding for technology. This is bad reporting by someone who does not understand the subject and does not ask tough questions

The tablet craze continues...a continuation of the "magic device" phenomenon

Google has the hype machine working overtime on this

A lighthearted, but thought provoking article on how digital learning might shape future classroom design.

Interesting conversation with the CEO of Rocketship, a blended-learning-focused charter school organization. "We should all focus on personalized learning and obsessing daily with how we ensure our students are spending large chunks of their day (80%+) in their optimal zone of learning-meaning exactly at their level. I would bet that students in countries that lead the world in achievement spend maybe 25-40% of their time in these optimal zones. Technology is an incredible tool in this work as there are online programs that immediately allow a student to access content in their optimal zone. Again-technology is not the complete answer, but it is definitely part of the solution."

Here's an example of one person who excelled in a MOOC. While everyone may not have the drive of this student, this is a good example of how an online technology facilitated a social learning group. Also - yet another example of how online resources can benefit people across the country who do not otherwise have access.

A friend just sent me this same article, Molly! However, my takeaway was much different. Whenever I read articles about young people doing extraordinary things with limited resources and technology, my first thought is always "how is this possible??" The article addresses my question directly: "The answer has to do with Battushig's extraordinary abilities, of course, but also with the ambitions of his high-school principal." The principal, also a graduate of MIT, was focused on developing more skilled engineers in Mongolia, and made it his mission to bring science and tech labs to his students; while MOOCs, the government's heavy investment in IT infrastructure, and the ubiquity of a 3G network made it possible to extend and enhance learning opportunities, the students may have never been exposed to engineering were it not for the encouragement of the principal. This human component, combined with technology, was what nurtured Battushig's drive and talent. This path will not work for just any student. If most homes in Mongolia have an Internet connection and even nomads cell phones, why have more people not found success with MOOCs? The author of the article summed it up best when she said, "Battushig's success also showed that schools could use MOOCs to find exceptional students all over the globe." Battushig is exceptional, just as elevated learning through MOOCs is still the "exception" and not the rule. MOOCs still lack a certain (perhaps human?) element that can move them from producing the anomaly of one "boy genius" to a more widespread level of learning.

Hi Laura - That's a good point about the principal. The principal and the student were both exceptional. While I do not think that MOOCs, as they are right now, can work for everyone, I do think that this example of educating an exceptional student is heartening. Maybe this exceptional student can learn a lot and then in turn, help others in his community. As undemocratic as it is, many advances in society are made by individuals or small groups of people. Overall though, I agree that MOOCs lack, as you said maybe a human element, to promote widespread education.

Interesting blog on how classrooms should embrace the "Maker" Movement.