PrestonLearning

"In just a few hours I had responses of all hues and colours, some agreeing, some disagreeing, many wanting more flesh to be put on the subject. So here, just for the record are my own, and other people's thoughts on the controversy of Marc Prensky's Digital Natives and Immigrants theory. Prensky originally suggested that those who were born before the digital age are immigrants, whilst those who have grown up with technology are the natives. The implications for this dichotomy? "

"In my previous blog post, the architecture of learning, I outlined some of the key characteristics of learning in a digital age, and started to identify some of the main differences between Learning 1.0 (before social media) and Learning 2.0. In the summary of the article,"

"Subject: Applying for Title IV Eligibility for Direct Assessment (Competency-Based) Programs Summary: This letter provides guidance to institutions1 that wish to have direct assessment (competency-based) programs considered for title IV, Higher Education Act (HEA) program eligibility. The letter outlines how institutions can have competency-based programs approved under the current regulations on direct assessment programs."

"Blended learning is a hot topic today, as is self-directed learning and customized learning. Put them all together and you get a self-blended model like this. It is a laudable effort with good potential. This idea of the self-blend is a powerful concept and I would like to expand it beyond just this one approach. In order to do so, let me suggest a few thoughts and questions."

How can you transform a classroom full of students into a community of learners? Betsy Page Sigman, a distinguished teaching professor in the McDonough School of Business at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., has tried over the years to add new types of technology to her database and e-commerce classes to engage her students.

"Ten Years Later: Why Open Educational Resources Have Not Noticeably Affected Higher Education, and Why We Should Care"

"I'm putting the finishing touches on my paper on badges for our panel tomorrow at the Digital Media and Learning Conference in Chicago, "Democratic Futures": http://dml2013.dmlhub.net/ In preparing I'm aided by two invaluable resources by Sheryl Grant and Kristan Shawgo, both part of our HASTAC and our DML bicoastal teams. They have put together a scholarly, annotated bibliography of 160 or so separate articles, studies, and op ed pieces on badges, representing the full spectrum of views: http://hastac.org/digital-badges-bibliography "

"I was recently contacted by Allison Morris and asked to share her excellent info-graphic examining the pros and cons of digital research. Allison makes an important observation, while nearly all students use the internet for research, few students receive sufficient training in information management. This lacking of training makes it difficult for many students to shift through the often overwhelming amount of information available on the internet."

"Teachers and students can use Gooru to search for rich collections of multimedia resources, digital textbooks, videos, games and quizzes created by educators in the Gooru community."

"Antero is an Assistant Professor in the English department at Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO. Antero's research focuses on developing critical literacies and civic identity through the use of mobile media and game play in formal learning environments. "

Some of you might recognize the title of this talk as a nod to the TV program "Whose Line Is It Anyway?" - a show that ran for 8 seasons on ABC and which is apparently coming back to cable after a 10 year hiatus. Bonus points if this title conjures the British version of the show rather than the Drew Carey hosted one. Double bonus points if you think of the radio show that predated both.

"On Loving (and Leaving) LearnBoost Rafael Corrales, co-founder and CEO of one of my favorite education technology startups, LearnBoost, recently announced that he has stepped down from the helm of the company and has moved on to join a venture capital firm. I admit: I'm fairly devastated by this news. I have long been a supporter of LearnBoost, first covering its official launch back in August 2010 when I was still a tech blogger for ReadWriteWeb. There I covered many of the startup's tech and product updates - including, for example, the development and open-sourcing of its crowdsourced translation interface - even though the editors were always quick to tell me not to cover ed-tech startups. ("Nobody cares, Audrey.") Nevertheless, when I was assigned to write the end-of-year story "Top 10 Startups of 2010," I put LearnBoost on the list alongside other exciting new startups from the year, including Instagram, Flipboard, Quora, Square, and Hipmunk."

"EDMONTON - These days, online literacy is part of classroom learning. However, for one Alberta school division, navigating social media isn't enough. It's making sure students are using the medium for good. In Parkland School Division, teachers and children are encouraged to learn about social media. "As adults, we really need to understand this world, and help the kids navigate it as opposed to just saying, 'hey just do whatever, we're too old to do this,'" explains Division Principal George Couros. "

"A recent blog by Grant Wiggins affirmed what I have long believed about creativity: it is a 21st-century skill we can teach and assess. Creativity fosters deeper learning, builds confidence and creates a student ready for college and career. However, many teachers don't know how to implement the teaching and assessment of creativity in their classrooms. While we may have the tools to teach and assess content, creativity is another matter, especially if we want to be intentional about teaching it as a 21st-century skill. In a PBL project, some teachers focus on just one skill, while others focus on many. Here are some strategies educators can use tomorrow to get started teaching and assessing creativity -- just one more highly necessary skill in that 21st-century toolkit. "

"Nanoogo is an online platform used by kids to write stories, create original artwork, and express their unique talents! It is meant to be fun, but we are serious about its educational value. Teachers are using Nanoogo in many ways to enhance classroom engagement while addressing the core curriculum. "

"Founded in 1992, the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) is the premier professional association for school district technology leaders. CoSN is committed to providing the leadership, community and advocacy tools essential for the success of these leaders. Our Mission Empowering educational leaders to leverage technology to realize engaging learning environments. CoSN's core beliefs are shared by our members, drive our strategies, and determine our goals and priorities. "