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djplaner

The Most Dangerous Word in Education - 0 views

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    Short post focusing on the problem of "integrating" as the most dangerous word in education. Links to the S & A from SAMR and the R & A from the RAT framework
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    What this means from a network perspective is at least two-fold. 1) Take all these neat new netgl stuff and integrate it into current educational practice. Which is probably not going to be a great outcome. It's more about what you can fundamentally change. 2) From a network perspective you have to connect new knowledge into your current knowledge (current network). Isn't that a form of integration? If learning is network construction, can you do anything but integrate? Or does integrate suggest a form of network construction where you haven't really leveraged the new knowledge & your existing knowledge to produce something really unique?
Charmian LORD

Connectivism: Learning theory of the future or vestige of the past? | Kop | The Interna... - 1 views

  • To what extent do existing learning theories meet the needs of today’s learners, and anticipate the needs of learners of the future?
  • If older theories are to be replaced by connectivism, then what are the grounds for this measure?
  • If connectivism is to build on older theories, how is the integration of the old and new theories to be conducted?
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  • The wide range of approaches and learning paths that are available to redesign curricula cause friction for educators and instructional designers who are required to deliver course materials in accordance with learning outcomes prescribed and mandated by educational institutions.
  • Connectivism stresses that two important skills that contribute to learning are the ability to seek out current information, and the ability to filter secondary and extraneous information.  Simply put, “The capacity to know is more critical than what is actually known” (Siemens, 2008, para. 6)
  • The developmental implications of Downes’ definitions of learning and knowledge are far-reaching.  If learning transpires via connections to nodes on the network, then it follows that the maximization of learning can best be achieved through identifying the properties of effective networks, which is precisely what Downes sets out to achieve in Learning Networks and Connective Knowledge.
  • Siemens (2006b) highlights other factors that may inform the development of a new learning theory, namely “how we teach, how we design curriculum, the spaces and structures of learning, and the manner in which we foster and direct critical and creative thought in our redesign of education” (p. 6).
  • roponents of connectivism are “exploring a model of learning that reflects the network-like structure evident in online interactions,” (p. 12) but is this enough to constitute its formulation as a new learning theory, and does connectivism have anything new to offer?
  • the way in which global networks and communities of interest are currently being formed through emerging technologies is encouraging young people, in particular, to develop new, creative, and different forms of communication and knowledge creation outside formal education
    • Charmian LORD
       
      do I classify as young? :)
  • his will undoubtedly cause friction in institutions and class rooms, particularly as (adult) educators themselves do not always feel comfortable with the new developments because they have not been shown adequately, or explored for themselves, how the new and emerging technologies could enhance their working practice.
    • Charmian LORD
       
      This is the issue I am facing.  People need time to work it out, good questions about the use of technology and information about how it will not increase their workload or decrease it (leading to a lack of work).  Is this possible?  How possible?
  • A paradigm shift, indeed, may be occurring in educational theory, and a new epistemology may be emerging, but it does not seem that connectivism’s contributions to the new paradigm warrant it being treated as a separate learning theory in and of its own right.  Connectivism, however, continues to play an important role in the development and emergence of new pedagogies, where control is shifting from the tutor to an increasingly more autonomous learner.
Charmian LORD

Critical Theories on Education and Technology - PhD Wiki - 0 views

  • Feenberg and other critical theorists such as Ellul, Ihde and Irrgang maintain that technology is neither neutral nor autonomous but ambivalent. Ambivalent technology is distinguished from neutrality by the role it attributes to social values in the use and the development of technical systems.
  • technology is not a thing in itself but is inherently a process of social, historical and political cultures.
  • technology mediates experience, and through this mediation, it alters the experience of the phenomena.
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  • Arisaka (2001)
  • The future development of educational technology will not be determined by the technology itself, states Feenberg, but rather the politics within the educational community and national political trends. In taking a dialogic approach, he stresses educational technology of an advanced society should be shaped by educational dialogue rather than the production-oriented logic of automation.
    • Charmian LORD
       
      If this is the case, I may be "won over" by Feenberg's dialogic approach.  Let's see :)
  • According to Feenberg (1991), critical theory explains how technology is embedded in society through ‘technological code’ that is dialectical, contextual, aesthetic, and humanly, socially, and ecologically responsible.
  • In summary, Feenberg (2002; 5) calls for a profound democratic transformation of technologies, asking “can we conceive an industrial society based on democratic participation in which individual freedom is not market freedom and in which social responsibility is not exercised through coercive regulation?” He argues a good society should support the personal freedom of its members enabling them to participate effectively in a range of public activities. This can be manifest in democratizing technological design; pursuing a ‘democratic rationalization’ where actors participate in the technological design processes. For Illich (1973), ‘tools of conviviality’ produce a democratic and convivial society in which individuals communicate, debate, participate in social and political life, and help make decisions. Convivial tools free individuals from dependency and cultivate autonomy and sociality.
  • Don Ihde (1990)
    • Charmian LORD
       
      I think he missed the idea that some people like to learn online.  It may have come about for (mostly) financial reasons but has been put to good use by many.
  • E-learning literature increasingly perceives the role of the tutor as facilitator (Salmon, 2004), whilst in a connectivist learning environment, it may become further marginalised or even obsolesced (Siemens, 2004). This emphasis on informal and autonomous learning and student engagement with experts outside their formal educational institutions also recalls Illich’s (1970) community webs. Critical educators such as Freire and Feenberg are critical of the diminishing of critical engagement by the tutor and believe it is essential that teachers continue to have a directive role.
  • Friesen (2008) explores three myths pertinent to current e-learning literature: Knowledge Economy Anyone, Anywhere, Anytime Learning Technology drives Educational Change
  • Kellner stresses that multiple literacies, such as media, computer, and information literacies are required in response to emergent technologies and cultural conditions to empower students to participate in the expanding high-tech culture and networked society.
  • Karlsson (2002) however, suggests so called web literacies should be recognised and studied merely as print literacies that appear on the web. Feenberg (2002) reminds us arguments emerging around new educational technologies are nothing new. He suggests writing was one of the first (narrow bandwidth) educational technologies, and describes how Plato denounced writing as destructive to the dialogic relationship between teacher and student evident in spoken discourse. (Noble (1997) points out the irony in Plato using written text to critique writing, suggesting that similarly, the majority of current attacks on web-based media circulate online.)
  • What originated as a hastily-conceived title for a conference presentation has since become a catch-all term for a range of ‘ontologically non–compatible’ elements (Allen, 2008). In an attempt to conceptualize the meaning of Web 2.0, Allen identifies four key components: Technological implementations that prioritise the manipulation and presentation of data through the interaction of both human and computer agents. An Economic model. Using the Web to put people and data together in meaningful exchanges for financial gain. Users are perceived as active participants, engaged in creating, maintaining and expanding Web content. The politics of Web 2.0 are expressed in traditional democratic terms, which emphasises freedom of choice and the empowerment of individuals.
  • Under a critical perspective, the democratic forms of media consumption and production of Web 2.0 are challenged by the underlying “dictates of a neo-liberal socio–political hegemony” (Jarrett, 2008), as evidenced in the exploitation of user–generated content by major corporations (Petersen, 2008). As Silver (2008) reminds us, “when corporations say community they mean commerce, and when they say aggregation they mean advertising.” Scholz (2008) contends the Web remains largely the domain of “professional elites that define what enters the public discourse,” In addition, social conditions inherent in Web 2.0 practices such as personalization (Zimmer, 2008) and participatory surveillance (Albrechtslund, 2008) require a rethinking of traditional notions of identity, privacy and social hierarchies. As educationalists demonstrate an increasing determination to tap into the apparent technological and sociological affordances of Web 2.0, these are issues that cannot be ignored.
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    PhD students article summarising critical theories.
djplaner

2020 Vision: Outlook for online learning in 2014 and way beyond | Tony Bates - 3 views

  • In 2020, people won’t be talking about online learning as such. It will be so integrated with teaching and learning that it will be like talking today about whether we should use classrooms.
  • Because academic content is almost all open, free and easily accessible over the Internet, students will not pay tuition fees for content delivery, but for services such as academic guidance and learning support, and these fees will vary depending on the level of service required.
  • Lastly, and most significantly, the priority for teaching will have changed from information transmission and organization to knowledge management, where students have the responsibility for finding, analyzing, evaluating, sharing and applying knowledge, under the direction of a skilled subject expert. Project-based learning, collaborative learning and situated or experiential learning will become much more widely prevalent. Also many instructors will prefer to use the time they would have spent on a series of  lectures in providing more direct, individual and group learner support, thus bringing them into closer contact with learners.
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  • written exams will have been replaced by assessment through multimedia portfolios of student work. These will show not only students’ current knowledge and competencies, but also their progression over time, and a range of equally important skills, such as their ability to work collaboratively, self-management of learning, and general communication skills. Assessment will be mainly on a continuous, on-going basis.
  • you are in a position to influence a different kind of vision
  • t will become increasingly difficult for institutions to protect student data and their privacy. This may turn out to be the biggest challenge for students, institutions, and government
  • Since content will be freely accessible, institutions’ reputation and branding will increasingly depend on the way they support learners. This will put much greater emphasis on instructors having good teaching skills as well as subject expertise.
  • They will have lost students to more prestigious universities and high status vocationally oriented institutions using online and flexible learning to boost their numbers.
    • djplaner
       
      This has been a common prediction for almost 20 years. It hasn't happened yet. Not to say it won't, but I'm not yet confident of the ability of the "fewer institutions" to effectively deal with the diversity and quantity of learners they are likely to get. Dealing with large cohorts of diverse students seems to be assumed to be easier than it actually is.
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    "Systematic faculty development and training"
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    I wonder if there'll be a separation of duties within multidisciplinary teams working together that include content specialists, media and design specialists, online teachers and classroom teachers all having collaborative but separate roles. It's becoming less and less practical for academics to think they can do it all.
Linda Raymond-Hagen

New structures of learning: The systemic impact of connective knowledge, connectivism, ... - 5 views

  • The limitation of physical classrooms and existing information structures in education play a similar role in delaying innovation as the centralized power source in multi-story buildings did during the adoption of electrical engines.
    • paul_size
       
      I like this line about physical structures delaying innovation.  
  • long timeline of slow change
  • almost all technological advancements related to information and communication have influenced three dimensions: 1.      Our ability to create and share information and content 2.      Our ability to connect and dialogue with others, a progressive minimization of the tyranny of space and time 3.      Our ability to experience a simulated reality
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  • barriers to the creation of content and information
  • This timeline has enabled anyone with access to an internet connection to create and share information.
  • The barriers of expense and technical expertise - such as printing presses - are now lowered to the ease of creating a blog or podcast.
  • validating information accuracy
  • increased ease of content creation is the ability for conversations to occur,
  • in both real and delayed time, on a global level. Through tools such as mobile phones, Skype[2], video conferencing, instant message, and microblogging tools such as Twitter[3], conversations are no longer confined by space and time
  • For many individuals, the reduced cost of information communication technologies reduces the economic barrier of participating in global conversations.
  • While technology is the undercurrent that has influenced much of the development in society and our ability to communicate, share, and create content, technology creates a different dimension not fully reflected in those advancements.
  • unattainable due to cost and access
  • Knowledge - the core product and source of engagement in education - has become increasingly fluid
  • What we have here is a transition from a stable, settled world of knowledge produced by authority/authors, to a world of instability, flux, of knowledge produced by the individual. (p. 207)
    • paul_size
       
      Is this not concerning?  Knowledge produced to create a world of instability?
  • Border-less education - such as is evident by global universities like Open University (UK) and Athabasca University (Canada) Private for-profit - as defined by organizations such as University of Phoenix and Laureate Education Corporate universities - such as Defense Acquisition University. (Scott, 2002, pp. 4 - 5)
  • vital combat of lucidity
  • his era of complexity, or as defined by Barnett (2004) - supercomplexity - requires a transition from an epistemological to an ontological emphasis. The development of specific skills and mindsets becomes as critical as, or even more so, than the possession of existing knowledge.
  • The ability to continue to learn and develop new knowledge replaces the importance of existing knowledge, or, what is known today is less important than the capacity to continue to know more. The development of a certain type of person with certain mindsets exceeds the importance of being in possession of a particular type of knowledge - becoming in contrast with knowing.
  • adoption of innovation and systemic views of change.
  • adoption of innovation and systemic views of change.
  • A view of change is required that moves beyond Christensen's (1997), Moore's (1999), and Senge et al.'s (1999) models and begins to addresses the impact of trends and innovations on the spaces and structures of learning.
  • New trends drive innovation
  • when educators, school systems, and research groups begin to adopt new approaches for learning.
  • Yet, in spite of small-scale innovation, new methods typically do not result in new spaces and structures of learning. As noted by David (1990), new innovations are adopted in the context of existing physical spaces.
  • Given the opportunities of technology to extend access to content, experts, and peer learners, does an existing classroom model still make sense? Do one-instructor classrooms need to give way to more diverse approaches of many instructors and many peer learners? How should curriculum be developed? How much structure needs to be applied to this type of model in the development of curricula and in the planning of instruction? Does instructional design similarly need to be rethought?
  • Once spaces
  • complex problem solving through collaboration, and new relationships between educational institutions and society are all possible as systems ch
  • catalyst and push-back factors
  • Social pressures were building that resulted in the eventual eruption of political reorganization.
  • Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition
  • Yet learning occurs in many places, formats, and process
  • limitless dimensions exist in our learning (
  • n addition to formal education, learning occurs through games and simulations, mentoring and apprenticing, performance support at the point of a learning need, self-learning that arises through critical and creative thinking, communities of practice and personal learning networks, as well as the many informal learning situations that arise through conferences, reading, volunteering, and hobbies.
  • (a) long-term trends influencing information creation, interaction, and technological change; (b) the nature of systemic change; and (c) the multi-faceted, dimension-less nature of learning. Consideration can now be given to a creative exploration of what educational structures might look like if created on the premises presented thus far.
  • Many of the assumptions that influence current school design are challenged when learners and educators have the ability to form global learning networks outside of the realm of traditional education. As we create "space and place, we create ourselves" (Cannatella, 2007, p. 632). Our ability to learn, grow, and adapt to change pressures is directly linked to the nature of our learning environments. Oblinger (2006) addressed the link between space design and opportunities for learning:
  • Space - whether physical or virtual - can have an impact on learning. It can bring people together; it can encourage exploration, collaboration, and discussion. Or, space can carry an unspoken message of silence and disconnectedness. More and more we see the power of built pedagogy (the ability of space to define how one teaches) in colleges and universities. (para 1)
  • carrier of patterns of previous reasoning
  • hierarchical mindset exists with regard to educational content
  • classification schemes of individuals such as Aristotle and Linnaeus
  • The multi-faceted aspects of learning - the criticality of context, the importance of social interaction and negotiation, the need for active "doing" - are all of such nebulous character that they fail to avail themselves to classification
  • structure content and interaction into hierarchical structures.
  • The limitations of hierarchy in capturing interconnectedness of information and the failure of classrooms to reflect technological developments permitting multi-perspective interactions and networked learning establish a need for different metaphors to guide learning design.
  • an environment that fosters and supports the formation of communities and networks (Siemens, 2003).
  • suggests a certain view of
  • learning
  • Learning is seen as bounded, structured, managed by a single expert (the teacher),
  • different affordances
  • ecology of learning with
  • If ecologies are the spaces of learning, then networks are the structures of learning.
  • They arise in a space that both supports and confines their creation. The last decade has generated much thought on networks. A range of researchers from physics, mathematics, and sociology (Barabasi, 2002; Watts, 2003; Wellman, 1999) have explored the nature of networks and how they are a central component in all aspects of society, biology, and physics. The centrality of networks as an organizing scheme is also reflected in education, teaching, and learning (Siemens, 2006) under the concept of connectivism. Connectivism is essentially the assertion that knowledge is networked and distributed, and the act of learning is the creation and navigation of networks. The distributed nature of knowledge and the growing complexification of all aspects of society require increased utilization of technology to assist our ability to stay current, manage information abundance, and solve highly complex problems.
  • A pedagogy of participation
  • Davidovitch (2007) suggested, "The call for a new pedagogy to accompany new instructional technologies, however, has largely remained unanswered."
  • The slow pace at which educational institutions have reacted to technological developments through the creation of new pedagogies can be traced to the physical structures of existing classrooms.
  • duplicate the structure of a classroom, little innovation is seen
  • pedagogy of oppression
  • discussion of participatory pedagogies
  • Learners are able to contribute to existing curricula.
  • Multiple perspectives, opinions, and active creation on the part of learners all contribute to the final content of the learner experience.
  • progressively rigid intellectual property laws or increased emphasis on learning outcomes
  • an attempt to create an educational system that recognizes the fluidity of learning and knowledge,
  • Questions shaping future directions
  • When a transition is made to networked models of learning, learners are able to form relationships with peers and experts from around
  • Content is not filtered according to the ideology of one professor.
  • MIT's OpenCourseWare
  • A fluid network of relationships
  • Accreditation is a value statement.
  • learner has sufficiently engaged with the knowledge of a domain to be worthy of a particular designation
  • Some prefer a high degree of social interaction, while others prefer a more individual approach.
  • The motivation of peer-contact and schedule of learning activities and events may provide critical support to ensure learners do not drop out of their
  • Existing services like Diigo[8], Amazon[9], Digg[10], and StumbleUpon[11] provide a glimpse of what a rating system might
  • brokering
  • funding model of universities relates to providing support for educators and i
  • societies to participate in the information and knowledge age. The critical challenges facing humanity are many. A highly connected and well educated populace appears to hold the greatest prospect for meeting these challenges.
    • Linda Raymond-Hagen
       
      Why is there still large investments being made in brick and mortar and not alternative deliveries?
  • e primacy of the educator and the role of the learners as receptive agents
  • learning management systems
  • Subscription fees to
  • as a source of guidance
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    Paper/presentation by Siemens talks about the difficulty of change and tries to develop a new view of teaching, learning and research. The abstract of the presentation is... "Since Illich's 1970 vision of learning webs, society has moved progressively closer to a networked world where content and conversations are continually at our finger tips and instruction and learning are not centered on the educator. The last decade of technological innovation - mobile phones, social media, software agents - has created new opportunities for learners. Learners are capable of forming global learning networks, creating permeable classroom walls. While networks have altered much of society, teaching, and learning, systemic change has been minimal. This presentation will explore how potential systemic responses leverage the transformative potential of connective knowledge and networked learning."
laurac75

Week 3 Reflection on Me as a student | Learning to learn with NGL - 1 views

  • digital natives and digital immigrants as defined by Prensky (2001).
    • laurac75
       
      Using ideas and principles from other sources
  • The answer is that I have been exploring where I fit both as a student and as a teacher.
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    • laurac75
       
      Reflecting on my own practice
  • In my last post, I introduced Helsper and Enyon’s (2009) idea that exposure to, and experience using, various digital technologies can have more of an influence that generation age on determining whether a person has the characteristics of a digital immigrant or a digital native. Of course, nothing is ever so clear cut. In his blog, Wesley Fryer discusses this, and expands the immigrant vs native classification into four categories, as shown below.
  • Personally, I think even this is a simplification, and that a person’s classification may vary depending on the technology referred to. For example, until recently I was a digital refugee with regards to smart phones and associated apps – and yet reading news report on-line is an integral component of my daily routine. I would probably class as a Voyeur with regards to Twitter and Flickr in that I am aware of them, and will use them to gain information but I do not follow anyone, or actively participate myself. Thus there are multiple shades of grey.
  • Goodyear, Carvalho and Dohn (2014, p 140) state that networked learning “ is no longer exotic”, however, I would argue that this very much depends on on one’s own perspective, which in turn would be shaped by personal experience and knowledge (aka the whole digital landscape debate).
  • (see Koutropoulis, 2011) Prensky’s division
  • I would generally agree that as a student, I tend to be quite focused, like an ordered approach, and work better as an individual than as part of a community. The concepts of ‘shared learning’ is quite alien to me – as is the concept of allowing the “mess” to be apparent. It is quite contradictory to my scientific researcher – the data is analysed, the results and interpretation finalised, and the presentation polished before the work is released to the world at large (typically via a published paper or article). Only those directly collaborating on the work see the mess, being asked to share this process on-line is really quite intimidating to me, and conflicts with my view of professionalism (as well as my tendency towards perfectionism).
  • So, as a student, I think I challenges on several fronts, not just learning the technology, and associated pedagogy, but also challenges to how I perceive and present myself to the world, and what that means to me as a person, and as a collaborator.
    • laurac75
       
      Using other resources; linking concepts and ideas
    • laurac75
       
      NGL principles in a brpader context; Using other sources
  • about herself in the capacity of being a student,
  • smiss this message
    • laurac75
       
      Use of other sources
    • laurac75
       
      Use of other sources
    • laurac75
       
      Personal reflection on NGL principles
  • So, as a student, I think I face challenges on several fronts, not just learning the technology, and associated pedagogy, but also challenges to how I perceive and present myself to the world, and what that means to me as a person, and as a collaborator
    • laurac75
       
      Reflection of future development
    • laurac75
       
      Personal reflection of involvement in NGL
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    An attempt to demonstrate how (if) I am meeting the assessment criteria for Assignment 1. I think the grading is rather oblique - how does one distinguish between acceptable and exemplary? Where does this post fit? Feedback or thoughts on this would be welcome.
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    An attempt to demonstrate how (if) I am meeting the assessment criteria for Assignment 1. I think the grading is rather oblique - how does one distinguish between acceptable and exemplary? Where does this post fit? Feedback or thoughts on this would be welcome.
anonymous

Life-changing Learning: Me as student - 2 views

  • designed to encourage students to become autonomous learners who are actively engaged within a global community
    • anonymous
       
      Using NGL principles to develop a reasoned understanding of participation in an NGL community
  • mmersing themselves in an on-line environment, and acquiring the skills to use a variety of tools that encourage interconnection, students become networked in an on-line community
    • anonymous
       
      Draws on a range of NGL ideas that are linked together as part of the explanation.
  • hat is happening in NGL is what I envision as the purpose of learning. Learning, regardless of the environment, should foster the ability of individuals to actively participate in creating something that they, themselves, find as valuable. It took me many years to realise this, and I realise that I needed to go through learning in environments that provide the opposite to understand that in order to learn anything effectively, I needed to be intrinsically motivated to learn it. If I wasn't, or my students were not, then we were both unlikely to continue with the learning after the subject or course was over. And what was worse, we were both unlikely to feel fulfilled.
    • anonymous
       
      A range of NGL principles are combined and linked to broader practice (i.e. me as a student).
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  • Now this is what real learning is about.
    • anonymous
       
      Discussion "as student" is of an appropriate quantity.
paul_size

Writer Unboxed » Networking for Writers - 1 views

  • introverted writer
    • anonymous
       
      Why is there always an assumption that writers are introverts!!
  • You want to approach someone with the intent to have a long-term mutually respectful relationship
  • treat the writer like you would your friend with a truck.
    • anonymous
       
      Very true, I've experienced this and also done this. Treat them like I would want to be treated. The golden rule, but oh so true.
    • paul_size
       
      I heard a good one the other day - 'treat them as they want to be treated.'  Kind of adds a different way of looking at things.  
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  • Approach writers you admire.
    • anonymous
       
      I admire several Australian authors. This would be great. I just went and saw David Malouf but was too shy!
  • Make sure that your work is in a somewhat similar vein.
  • Comment in a friendly and funny way on their posts and blogs.
  • Re-post their important announcements.
  • Be an active participant in author groups. Like this one!
    • anonymous
       
      This is what I need to do more of.
  • Leave only sincere, glowing reviews on Amazon/Goodreads etc.
  • Go to author readings.
  • Be yourself. It’s okay if you’re shy.
    • anonymous
       
      Phew!
  • Do not send private email messages to writers asking questions you could have answered yourself using Google.
    • anonymous
       
      Lol!
  • Do not complain publicly when people don’t respond to your unsolicited overtures.
    • anonymous
       
      Ouch, I've done this, lol
  • Maya Angelou said, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
    • anonymous
       
      Love this quote. I try to practice this with my friends, students and family.
    • paul_size
       
      Thought provoking this one is.
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    A good article for networking for writers. From a NGL perspective, it includes online and in-person.
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    A good article for networking for writers. From a NGL perspective, it includes online and in-person.
djplaner

Communities of Practice: Creating Learning Environments for Educators - Chris Kimble, P... - 1 views

shared by djplaner on 04 Oct 12 - No Cached
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    Book possibly of interest to a few people 
paul_size

Building Sustainable Communities through Network Building - 0 views

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    Communities are built on connections and these connections usually provide better opportunities.
paul_size

The secret of Minecraft - 1 views

That was a really interesting read. Last semester I completed one of the Masters subject in Communities of Practice and The secret of Minecraft resonated well. My kids play it at home and learn o...

started by paul_size on 23 Jul 14 no follow-up yet
djplaner

Ed tech promoters need to understand how most of us learn ~ Stephen's Web - 4 views

shared by djplaner on 28 Jul 14 - No Cached
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    Can some, most or all people engage in self-directed learning? Is it innate or can it be developed? What if they are "pursuing their own interests"? Questions that have already come up for some, especially given the design of NGL. Thoughts?
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    Maybe its both? I think some will be better than others but I don't think those for whom it isn't innate can't become more informed and skilled at self direction as a practice for learning.
Anne Trethewey

Connected Learning: Reimagining the Experience of Education in the Information Age - 1 views

  • the idea of a learning ecology, within which learning occurs everywhere, and with their goal to remove some of the obstacles which block the flow of information, knowledge, skills, and wisdom between different sectors.
  • ocus here on participation — in the learning process, in the governance of society — since the struggle to achieve a more participatory culture remains one of the central battles of our times.
  • the focus is on valuing the kinds of learning that children and youth value, the kind that is deeply motivating and tied in meaningful ways to their construction of their identity, recognizing that the goal of education in the 21st century should be in allowing young people to discover and refine their own expertise as they follow their passions and inform their interests
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  • he concept of “connected learning” remains a “work in progress,” and the best way to make progress is for thoughtful people, across a range of fields, to read, debate, and respond to their provocation and for those of us who find something here to value, to try to put its core principles into play through our work.
  • Connected learning is not, however, distinguished by a particular technology or platform, but is inspired by an initial set of three educational values, three learning principles, and three design principles
  • Equity — when educational opportunity is available and accessible to all young people, it elevates the world we all live in. Full Participation — learning environments, communities, and civic life thrive when all members actively engage and contribute. Social connection — learning is meaningful when it is part of valued social relationships and shared practice, culture, and identity.
  • Interest-powered – Interests power the drive to acquire knowledge and expertise. Research shows that learners who are interested in what they are learning, achieve higher order learning outcomes. Connected learning does not just rely on the innate interests of the individual learner, but views interests and passions as something to be actively developed in the context of personalized learning pathways that allow for specialized and diverse identities and interests. Peer-supported – Learning in the context of peer interaction is engaging and participatory. Research shows that among friends and peers, young people fluidly contribute, share, and give feedback to one another, producing powerful learning. Connected learning research demonstrates that peer learning need not be peer-isolated. In the context of interest-driven activity, adult participation is welcomed by young people. Although expertise and roles in peer learning can differ based on age and experience, everyone gives feedback to one another and can contribute and share their knowledge and views. Academically oriented – Educational institutions are centered on the principle that intellectual growth thrives when learning is directed towards academic achievement and excellence. Connected learning recognizes the importance of academic success for intellectual growth and as an avenue towards economic and political opportunity. Peer culture and interest-driven activity needs to be connected to academic subjects, institutions, and credentials for diverse young people to realize these opportunities. Connected learning mines and translates popular peer culture and community-based knowledge for academic relevance.
  • Shared purpose — Connected learning environments are populated with adults and peers who share interests and are contributing to a common purpose. Today’s social media and web-based communities provide exceptional opportunities for learners, parents, caring adults, teachers, and peers in diverse and specialized areas of interest to engage in shared projects and inquiry. Cross-generational learning and connection thrives when centered on common interests and goals. Production-centered — Connected learning environments are designed around production, providing tools and opportunities for learners to produce, circulate, curate, and comment on media. Learning that comes from actively creating, making, producing, experimenting, remixing, decoding, and designing, fosters skills and dispositions for lifelong learning and productive contributions to today’s rapidly changing work and political conditions. Openly networked – Connected learning environments are designed around networks that link together institutions and groups across various sectors, including popular culture, educational institutions, home, and interest communities. Learning resources, tools, and materials are abundant, accessible and visible across these settings and available through open, networked platforms and public-interest policies that protect our collective rights to circulate and access knowledge and culture. Learning is most resilient when it is linked and reinforced across settings of home, school, peer culture and community.
  • The urgent need to reimagine education grows clearer by the day. Research has shown that too many students are disengaged and alienated from school, and see little or no purpose to their education
  • The principles of connected learning weren’t born in the digital age, but they are extraordinarily well-suited to it. Connected learning seeks to tie together the respected historical body of research on how youth best learn with the opportunities made available through today’s networked and digital media
  • Connected learning is real-world. It’s social. It’s hands-on. It’s active. It’s networked. It’s personal. It’s effective
  •  
    A description of some American academics getting together on the idea of connected learning. The post describes the values and principles underpinning their conception of connected learning.
djplaner

Heutagogy and lifelong learning: A review of heutagogical practice and self-determined ... - 0 views

shared by djplaner on 30 Aug 14 - No Cached
  •  
    Heutagogy arises from andragogy which in turn is an re-framing of pedagogy for adult learners. This paper links heutagogy and some of the tech associated with NGL and provides some advice about how to design courses based on this combination.
djplaner

Me as a teacher | The Weblog of (a) David Jones - 1 views

  • Perhaps the biggest example of that that I think lectures suck. In fact, I have a dislike for most face-to-face teaching practices in a University context. I have – what Bali and Meier describe as – an affinity for asynchronous learning.
    • djplaner
       
      Using ideas/principles from other sources
  • rown to like the McWilliam’s (2009) idea of the “meddler in the middle” which is described a
    • djplaner
       
      MOre from other resources
  • you might imagine, this doesn’t necessarily fit well with many of my colleagues, but it does mean I’m naturally inclined towards NGL.
    • djplaner
       
      Some evidence of using principles/literature to understand what is going on (i.e. my reflections on my own approach)
  • ...7 more annotations...
  • . For both courses I’m interested in questions like: How I can be a more effective “meddler in the middle”? What learning environment is going to be best engage students most effectively in NGL? For EDC3100 the challenge is scaling this to a course with 100+ students. For EDU8117 the challenge may be to be a bit more experimental in how it’s done. In both the challenge may be for me to break my limitations/conceptions and those of the institutional environment.
    • djplaner
       
      Some identification of future plans. Arguably fairly light on and not fleshed out in details, but probably appropriate for this post's purpose
  • is links to the point made by Goodyear et al (2014) Unless learning is very closely supervised and directed (which it rarely is), there will usually be some slippage between task and activity, for good and bad reasons. This is important to acknowledge, when designing, because what people learn is a consequence of their actual activity, and therefore only indirectly a result of the task set for them. Tasks are designable, activities are not – they are emergent. (p. 1
    • djplaner
       
      More NGL principals.
  • Just how much is needed?
    • djplaner
       
      A question to consider into the future - future planning
  • n his post “as teacher” Brendon, one of the other NGL participants, mentions Sugata Mitra’s work and the idea of students being “able to develop their own connections and learning without … explicit teaching”. Brendon identifies as a key challenge for schools the task of developing (or perhaps unleashing learner’s inherent ability to be) “self-directed and inquisitive learners”. For both my courses I see this as the main aim and the main challenge.
    • djplaner
       
      Building on Brendon's post. Pointing to some insights which suggest some limitations of an aspect of what he was talking about.
  • Sorry, but Mahara still doesn’t compete with WordPress (or any other of numerous freely available online alternatives). In reflecting on her “as teacher” Anne relates a similar story around one school’s pilot program with Microsoft where each student has their own tablet device “but the device is not able to be taken home”
    • djplaner
       
      Making a connection to another participants post. Agreeing with it, linking it to what I'm doing
  • What do I want to do?
    • djplaner
       
      All of the following really starting to talk about what I'd like to do.
  • Goodyear et al (2014) pick up on the term affordance as both important, but also as “a term that is also very widely critiqued and contested” (p. 137). The idea is that particular technologies afford different possibilities dependent on people’s perceptions of a technology. But an affordance isn’t a single set of possibilities seen by every person. Taking what Goodyear et al (2014) describe as a “relational-materialist” the idea of affordance becomes much more complex and emergent.
    • djplaner
       
      Using the literature as part of my planning
  •  
    My contribution to an activity I'm currently adding to the week 3 material. Meant as an example. Still to be 100% completed.
  •  
    Hi David Could you please indicate how you would mark this? Both overall, and with regards as to how each of your examples meet the criteria? Would I be correct to assume that this is exemplary? I'm somewhat uncertain as to how to interpret the marking criteria. Thanks Laura
laurac75

Checking Email Every Minute, The Plastic Brain, and Schooling | Larry Cuban on School R... - 0 views

    • laurac75
       
      I couldn't agree more - when I am on-line, I am constantly checking emails. When I get emails, it just makes me check all the more frequently. Completely addictive!
laurac75

Building Better Teachers--Mastering the craft demands time to collaborate-just what Ame... - 0 views

    • laurac75
       
      I doubt that this is just restricted to America. I think it probably also true of most academics who are not also researchers in the field of education.
Anne Trethewey

Educational Leadership:For Each to Excel:Preparing Students to Learn Without Us - 3 views

  • The reality is that despite having talked about personalized learning for more than a decade, most schools and teachers have been slow to discover its potential through the use of the social web, interactive games, and mobile devices.
    • anonymous
       
      Comments like this make teachers appear lazy. Using the word "slow" implies that teachers are ignorant and not proactive. I have seen many teachers wanting to integrate these technologies but finding the curriculum and day to day life of being a teacher as exhausting.
    • mari marincowitz
       
      I totally agree on this, Annelise. The problem is that the whole school system has not kept up the way technology has changed our daily lives and ways we interact and learn. For example, I'm teaching the IB Visual Art curriculum, a rigorous 2-year course for grade 11 and 12 learners. The sheer amount of work that need to be achieved in a very short period, makes it impossible to spend hours integrating new technologies that are not directly related to achieving the objectives set out by the IB to pass this exam. My husband teaches IB Psychology and the final examination is a traditional written exam, mostly based on students' ability to memorize large amounts of work. This means that students need to practice writing traditional pen and paper tests. This leaves little space for interactive games or application of new technologies. The curriculum will need to change before teachers can effectively discover the potential of these new technologies and consequently redefine their teaching.
  • schools see the eruption of technologies and environments that allow for personalized learning as a "disruptive innovation
    • anonymous
       
      Not in the schools I have been in.
  • we need to fundamentally rethink what we do in the classroom with kids
    • anonymous
       
      True, we do need to rethink but I think the model is fundamentally flawed.
  • ...9 more annotations...
  • are we preparing students to learn without us? How can we shift curriculum and pedagogy to more effectively help students form and answer their own questions, develop patience with uncertainty and ambiguity, appreciate and learn from failure, and develop the ability to go deeply into the subjects about which they have a passion to learn
    • anonymous
       
      This is what the subject NGL is encouraging. We learn without teachers, where we answer our own questions, develop patience with uncertainty and ambiguity, appreciate and learn from our "mistakes," and follow our passion.
  • writing blog posts
    • anonymous
       
      A very good idea and something I was doing with my year 11s and 12s. Some loved it and others wanted the "paper and pen" approach. I found female students were more resistant as they were not as active in online forums as the males, but this is only my experience. I had many females complain, even some to their parents saying that they wanted to receive everything I did in hard copy, despite even the parents having access to all the online materials.
  • model the learning process together
    • anonymous
       
      A great idea, modelling active learning.
  • Assessment changes as well. Donhauser says that the emphasis moves to assessing in the moment rather than at the end of a book or unit. "Rather than having a defined product that I receive from 25 students," she says, "I receive 25 individual assignments with their own unique content, insights, and styles." Using Google Docs, students continually update their progress, and she provides regular feedback. Students also give one another feedback on their plans as they go. Everyone follows a rubric that covers such areas as standards, learning outcomes, artifact explanation, blog posts, learning activities, work ethic, and research. Personalized learning like this requires students to reflect deeply on their effort and assess their work and progress, a fundamental part of developing the skills and dispositions to continue learning after the class ends.
    • anonymous
       
      I can see how it will take very brave souls to implement this approach in the current schooling model. I have seen massive resistance, and mostly because it is seen as "extra" on top of everything else. Education is like a "black hole" - never ending and constantly growing. :0
  • the truly personal, self-directed learning that we can now pursue in online networks and communities differs substantially from the "personalized" opportunities that some schools are opening up to students. Although it might be an important first step in putting students on a path to a more self-directed, passionate, relevant learning life, it may not bring about the true transformation that many see as the potential of this moment.
    • anonymous
       
      I think the demand for personal learning is increasing, particularly amongst male students. The proliferation of information on the web and the active engagement. Argghh, I just found out that Robin Williams has died. I'm heartbroken, i loved him.
    • djplaner
       
      You're not alone in that feeling.
    • djplaner
       
      On a less important topic, how would personal learning fit within a school setting with set curriculum etc? I can see a distinct difference with what is possible in NGL and what could be done in my undergraduate course.
  • By pairing personalized learning and technology, a teacher can help students learn what they need to learn through the topics that interest them most.
    • Anne Trethewey
       
      An interesting statement - especially in light of many of the restrictions now placed on teachers in Australia with the new national curriculum, especially P-6.  Over the last few years, the explicit teaching focuses and prescriptive nature of many subject outcomes has seen my teaching change fundamentally, and I do not believe for the better. I know longer have the same scope and professional leeway to tailor learning to needs and interests of my students.  One-size DOES NOT FIT ALL!
  • Finding Their Passion
    • Anne Trethewey
       
      Have explored 'Genius Hour' with my students in an attempt to introduce more opportunity for my students to engage in learning that is more in turn with their interests and passions.  Find time in a very hectic curriculum and timetable is the greatest hurdle!
  • It requires a totally different skill set on the teacher's part," Stutzman says. "We have to be comfortable with being uncomfortable, because we don't know the exact direction that a class will go when we walk in.
  • Personal and autonomous learning is self-directed and self-selected according to the learner's own needs, preferences, and learning arrangements … Truly autonomous and personal learning means making our own choices about what we wish to play or learn with, whom we wish to learn with or from, where we want to do this learning, when we prefer to learn or play, and how we want to learn. (personal communication, October 3, 2011).
  •  
    A very good article on encouraging students to personalise their learning to their personal interests, just as NGL is doing. It illustrates how learning should be self-directed.
  •  
    A very good article on encouraging students to personalise their learning to their personal interests, just as NGL is doing. It illustrates how learning should be self-directed.
paul_size

The next generation of learning practices - 0 views

  •  
    Hi all, a worthwhile look with some interesting quotes and slides.
djplaner

Using a design-based research study to identify principles for training instructors to ... - 1 views

  • In DBR, the content, structure, and instructional approaches of an intervention are first identified in the analysis and exploration phase of a design project through a literature review and the input of experts and practitioners. This information is then used to design the first iteration of the intervention. A preliminary literature review is conducted with the purpose of identifying draft design principles that have the potential to address the problem the intervention is being designed to solve. In the COAT project, the draft design guidelines included what content, structure, and instructional approaches might best be used to address the training and experiential needs of adjunct faculty who are making the transition to teaching online
  • Two-thirds (16 out of 24) of focus group participants identified that their experience of being an online student in the COAT course had influenced their subsequent online teaching practice.
    • djplaner
       
      Resonating with the emphasis on participation in networks as important for NGL
  •  
    An example of using DBR. Table 1 with the three phases looks like a potentially good model for Assignment 2 in EDU8117.
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