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J.Randolph Radney

Teaching in Social and Technological Networks « Connectivism - 0 views

www.connectivism.ca/?p=220

teaching connectivism networks social eLearning writing english

shared by J.Randolph Radney on 22 Feb 10 - Cached
  • Technological networks have transformed prominent businesses sectors: music, television, financial, manufacturing. Social networks, driven by technological networks, have similarly transformed communication, news, and personal interactions. Education sits at the social/technological nexus of change – primed for dramatic transformative change. In recent posts, I’ve argued for needed systemic innovation. I’d like focus more specifically on how teaching is impacted by social and technological networks.
  • social and technological networks subvert the classroom-based role of the teacher. Networks thin classroom walls. Experts are no longer “out there” or “over there”. Skype brings anyone, from anywhere, into a classroom. Students are not confined to interacting with only the ideas of a researcher or theorist. Instead, a student can interact directly with researchers through Twitter, blogs, Facebook, and listservs. The largely unitary voice of the traditional teacher is fragmented by the limitless conversation opportunities available in networks. When learners have control of the tools of conversation, they also control the conversations in which they choose to engage.
  • Course content is similarly fragmented. The textbook is now augmented with YouTube videos, online articles, simulations, Second Life builds, virtual museums, Diigo content trails, StumpleUpon reflections, and so on.
  • ...14 more annotations...
  • Thoughts, ideas, or messages that the teacher amplifies will generally have a greater probability of being seen by course participants.
  • The following are roles teacher play in networked learning environments: 1. Amplifying 2. Curating 3. Wayfinding and socially-driven sensemaking 4. Aggregating 5. Filtering 6. Modelling 7. Persistent presence
  • Views of teaching, of learner roles, of literacies, of expertise, of control, and of pedagogy are knotted together. Untying one requires untying the entire model.
  • Fortunately, the experience of wayfinding is now augmented by social systems.
  • I found my way through personal trial and error. Today’s social web is no different – we find our way through active exploration. Designers can aid the wayfinding process through consistency of design and functionality across various tools, but ultimately, it is the responsibility of the individual to click/fail/recoup and continue.
  • The curator, in a learning context, arranges key elements of a subject in such a manner that learners will “bump into” them throughout the course. Instead of explicitly stating “you must know this”, the curator includes critical course concepts in her dialogue with learners, her comments on blog posts, her in-class discussions, and in her personal reflections.
  • Sensemaking in complex environments is a social process.
  • Perhaps we need to spend more time in information abundant environments before we turn to aggregation as a means of making sense of the landscape.
  • magine a course where the fragmented conversations and content are analyzed (monitored) through a similar service. Instead of creating a structure of the course in advance of the students starting (the current model), course structure emerges through numerous fragmented interactions. “Intelligence” is applied after the content and interactions start, not before.
  • Aggregation should do the same – reveal the content and conversation structure of the course as it unfolds, rather than defining it in advance.
  • Filtering resources is an important educator role, but as noted already, effective filtering can be done through a combination of wayfinding, social sensemaking, and aggregation. But expertise still matters. Educators often have years or decades of experience in a field. As such, they are familiar with many of the concepts, pitfalls, confusions, and distractions that learners are likely to encounter.
  • To teach is to model and to demonstrate. To learn is to practice and to reflect.”
  • Apprenticeship learning models are among the most effective in attending to the full breadth of learning.
  • Without an online identity, you can’t connect with others – to know and be known. I don’t think I’m overstating the importance of have a presence in order to participate in networks. To teach well in networks – to weave a narrative of coherence with learners – requires a point of presence. As a course progresses, the teacher provides summary comments, synthesizes discussions, provides critical perspectives, and directs learners to resources they may not have encountered before.
  • J.Randolph Radney on 22 Feb 10
     
    Here are some additional concepts that are a part of my approach to teaching.
J.Randolph Radney

Blogger in Middle-earth: One Voice? A post for bloggers - 1 views

newmiddle-earth.blogspot.com/...e-voice-post-for-bloggers.html

middleearth blogging

shared by J.Randolph Radney on 26 Oct 09 - Cached
  • What sort of voice do you use when you write a blog post? Do you have an informal or personal tone to your writing? Or do you prefer the more formal structured approaches?
  • Bryson is a journalist. Yet even for me, twice a Science graduate, his ‘voice’ immediately captures my interest in the Science he writes about. He speaks as if he is talking with me, not talking directly at me.
  • Is there a single genre that is appropriate to writing blog posts?Or should the genre be selected according to the topic of the post? Could genre be chosen to address a particular target group within the readership of the blog?
  • J.Randolph Radney on 26 Oct 09
     
    This is a resource to help you think about how formal students want their public blog to be.
J.Randolph Radney

Exams « Andrew B. Watt's Blog - 4 views

andrewbwatt.wordpress.com/...exams

blog exams

shared by J.Randolph Radney on 20 Nov 09 - Cached
  • J.Randolph Radney on 20 Nov 09
     
    Here's a blog on one teacher's recent essay exam.
  • J.Randolph Radney on 26 Nov 09
     
    The main point Mr. Watt makes is that students essay writing skills leave a lot to be desired; none of the essays were as good as the comments students offered each other on their work. Their first essays were structurally poor, but based on content they knew well. The other essays were better examples of good writing, but had insufficient information that was sought by the instructor on the subjects.
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