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I would like to share with you this new project that gives light a new dimension to education using the social media as tool to increase the interaction between teacher and students. The Flat Classroom Project is an innovative approach where educators have built social-networking sites specifically for use in class and home assignments. This project allows communication for students in the classroom, but for them to interact with students in far away classrooms all around the world can reach and learn from each other. A recent survey (http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2010/Social-Media-and-Young-Adults.aspx) from the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 73 percent of online teens use social-networking sites. Updating their Facebook or MySpace page has become a regular activity for teens as is using these services to catch up on what their peers are doing. Using similar tools will encourage students to interact with each other, using many of the same techniques they do when away from school but focused on their educational goals. Hope for someone will be useful

Its is very interesting to see that new technologies are more and more taking part of the class as being a tool like any other ones. It is very important to let them get in the class and not leave them out as new media and new technologies are used on a everyday basis by most of the students. One of the most important point of this article to make sure that the use of tools should be customized depending on the students. It is also in my opinion that the more customized the process of learning is, the better will be the learning. Customizing a class lead to a better motivation for the students and so lead to a better learning and more important remembering of what is done during the class. Moreover, I agree with the authors when saying that new technologies should be used and learned from the very beginning of school. As I said, new technologies should not be let outside of the school as it takes a great part of our lifes nowadays. And the earliest it is learnt, the better the students will know how to use them to make them as most efficient in their lifes (private ones, during their studies, careers...) as possible. It is said in the article that this project is used in different countries. However, besides Spain, the rest of them are english speaking countries. How could this project be developed in order to touch more and more countries? Or could it be used during english classes in other countries than the one mentionned?

According to the synopsis, John McCutchan, SCEA's lead for Game Systems and Developer Support, will be on hand to discuss the "Move Server project that will make it possible for academics and hobbyists to develop software using the PlayStation Move controller on their own PCs.

As our project was based on analysing our interaction with the tv through the tool that is Playstation Move, I think the info, that further research might be driven by connecting it to a PC or a Mac is quite interesting! :O)

This article retraces the use of new media and new technologies in a class of Oral History. It shows that by using those new tools, it enhanced learning through a more interactive, participative and collaborative way. During the Oral History Class, the students were engaged in a collaborative project aimed at giving the "opportunity to play an action-research and community service role". The use of new media and technologies were used in class (using computers) as well as outside the classroom. For this project a "Class folder" was created where students and teacher could put their work as well as knowing about the assignment or the advancement of the project. This "Class folder" developed a conceptualization of "centralization" of the work: the access was free, any time and it was for the student a good way to share their ideas, comments and work. It also enhanced the "decentralization of knowledge": the students were more autonomous and the teacher became a "facilitator rather than a singular authority in the classroom".

More and more universities around the world provide online, e-learning programs that enable the long distance education to interested individuals. The website that I propose is one of my favorite options in terms of creative education related to arts, performing, liberal, media and communication arts. The SCAD eLearning environment encompasses an online global community, where students learn from SCAD faculty and one another, participating in critiques, meetings and collaborative projects. Students complete undergraduate and graduate degree requirements completely online or in combination with on-site courses. SCAD eLearning provides comprehensive university services including career coaching, research workshops, counseling services, SCAD libraries, and resources such as the Virtual Lecture Hall, SCAD.tv, and the Visual Resources Center. Recipient of numerous awards, SCAD eLearning has been recognized for its outstanding and comprehensive online learning curriculum. Vigorous, well-designed coursework, combined with exceptional instruction, ensures a world-class online education. Enjoy!

I found this interesting article that look at divers types of technologies apply in multicultural education context.. I hope someone find it useful! I copied here the abstract: The purpose of this paper is to discuss several technology applications that are being used to address current problems or opportunities related to multicultural education. Five technology applications or technology-related projects are discussed, including a teacher education literacy tool, social networking communities, massive multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPGs), virtual patients, and an International Leadership in Educational Technology (ILET) consortium. Research and practical implications of this paper include the introduction of new technologies for improving multicultural education, research findings on the use of these tools, and potential opportunities or pitfalls as such tools are implemented and evaluated. The paper concludes with a call for new research in the area of technologies for multicultural education.

What's New:Shared Time Project Launched!

The authors of this book provide concrete examples of activities for using constructivism and technology to allow students to construct knowledge, to think and to learn. Constructivist learning emphasizes the five different attributes of meaningful learning which are (i) intentional learning, (ii) active learning, (iii) constructive learning, (iv) cooperative learning, and (v) authentic learning. Real learning requires combining the different elements of meaningful learning. The authors describe six ways to use technology and constructivist learning to allow students to construct understanding and learn. The authors describe the types of technology in very basic terms and the specific hardware and software that are required for the classroom in order to partake in the activities described in the book. For each technology, the authors describe activities and projects that can be used to facilitate learning. They also describe the learning process, the role of the student, the role of the teacher, and ways to assess the learning process. The goal of this book is to advocate educational reform and change through constructivist methodologies by demonstrating specific examples of how the tools of technology can be employed to empower students to construct knowledge and meaning. What I found interesting (and possibly useful for us) is that at the end of each chapter, the authors pose "things to think about" and list numerous questions for further discussion.

This article shows how the language learning process is integrated with the technology. Different social media tools create different interactive possibilities to improve the language skills of the students. This article emphasises the use of voicethread as a tool of Web 2.0 that combine different methods in itself that allows students to use their creativity and skills. I have already use voice thread the last year during the class of Telecolloboration. It´s very interesting for the ones that didn´t take this class and also for others that want to integrate different social media tools into education.

"As part of its Transforming Undergraduate Education Program, the University of Texas SYSTEM has initiated a statewide virtual learning community of students, faculty, researchers and administrators, that offers a creative approach to undergraduate instruction through the innovative use of a 21st century low-cost online virtual world technology."