"The principal of Northern Beaches Secondary College, Steve Pickering, and his colleagues were inspired to introduce this project-based learning after visiting progressive schools in Adelaide and the US a few years ago. He believes working in groups on real issues improves student engagement, especially in middle years, by leveraging team loyalty and promoting a sense of achievement. It also moves education towards student-centre learning and lets children make unique contributions they would not be able to on their own."

Openness proponents contend that distance education often isolates students behind password-protected gates. By unlatching those barriers, professors like Mr. Couros are inventing a way of learning online that feels less like a digital copy of face-to-face classes and more like the open, social, connected Web of blogs, wikis, and Twitter. It can expose students to a far broader network than they would encounter discussing their lessons with a small group of graduate students.

"Teaching people how to use these new tools is really becoming one of the main things that we do in career counseling offices," said Nancy Richmond, assistant director of career counseling and exploration at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "We're showing them that using social media is a great way to show employers that they're on the forefront of cutting-edge trends. It can be extremely helpful for their careers."

"In conjuction with our partners in the Rethink Learning Now campaign, we have produced an ESEA Toolkit for you to use in making your voice heard around ESEA reauthorization."

IMAGINE AN assessment system in which teachers had a wide repertoire of classroom-based, culturally sensitive assessment practices and tools to use in helping each and every child learn to high standards; in which educators collaboratively used assessment information to continuously improve schools; in which important decisions about a student, such as readiness to graduate from high school, were based on the work done over the years by the student; in which schools in networks held one another accountable for student learning; and in which public evidence of student achievement consisted primarily of samples from students' actual schoolwork rather than just reports of results from one-shot examinations.

"While some education conferences are genuinely inspiring, others serve mostly to demonstrate how even intelligent educators can be remarkably credulous, nodding agreeably at descriptions of programs that ought to elicit fury or laughter, avidly copying down hollow phrases from a consultant's PowerPoint presentation, awed by anything that's borrowed from the business world or involves digital technology. Many companies and consultants thrive on this credulity, and also on teachers' isolation, fatalism, and fear (of demands by clueless officials to raise test scores at any cost). With a good dose of critical thinking and courage, a willingness to say "This is bad for kids and we won't have any part of it," we could drive these outfits out of business -- and begin to take back our schools."

education social learning place

What is BigBlueButton ? BigBlueButton is an open source project that is built on over fourteen open source components to create an integrated web conferencing system that runs on mac, unix, or PC computers. In the true sense of open source, we invite you to try out and participate in our project.

Some universities are beginning to focus on a big-picture view of technology: making learning resources available in multimedia, integrating technology from design to delivery, using mobile technologies, and increased focus on network pedagogy. Blackboard (and LMS' in general) have been able to present the message that "you need an LMS to do blended and online learning". To counter this view, the edupunk/DIY approach to learning has produced an emphasis on personal learning environments and networks.

EduFeedr is an educationally enhanced feed reader for blog-based courses. The project is currently in the design phase. This website contains information about the design and development of EduFeedr. All information from https://wiki.mozilla.org/EduFeedr_Blueprint will be moved to this site soon.

"It is usually around whether that is where you want to spend the money, as opposed to whether it is a good idea or not."

About T&C Technology and Culture, founded in 1959, is the preeminent journal for the history of technology. International and interdisciplinary, T&C publishes articles and research notes by scholars from a wide range of intellectual disciplines: history, sociology, engineering, law, architecture, anthropology, economics, philosophy, literature, to name a few.

ThinkUKnow is an Internet safety program delivering interactive training to parents, carers and teachers through primary and secondary schools across Australia using a network of accredited trainers.

What is Plexus? Personal * Portable * Private Plexus is a free and open source software 'switchboard' which handles all of your social networking needs.

"The More Knowledgeable Other. is anyone who has a better understanding or a higher ability level than the leaner particularly in regards to a specific task, concept or process. Traditionally the MKO is thought of as a teacher, an older adult or a peer" (Dahms et al, 2007),

NSW is set to lose one of its most energetic technology chiefs as Stephen Wilson prepares to exit the education department. It is understood the Department of Education and Training chief information officer has tendered his resignation and is expected to leave at the end of this week.

In breaking news, Lindsay has joined Kevin and Julia in the PM's office. Not bad, considering he's three metres from me and we're off to dinner. If something doesn't happen soon, the Australian media will burst like a festering boil. Time to get out of there.