Professional Learning Communities, Leadership, and Student Learning
Research on professional learning communities in middle schools, both in urban and suburban areas. The research specifically looks at the organizational cultures of learning organizations, including team learning, trust, and shared vision.
Weblogg-ed » Local Connections and Global Connections
Will Richardson, about the Educon 2.0 conference. Great quote about technology from Chris Lehmann. One of Will's insights is that although we often talk about technology in terms of global connections, the connections within the local community also benefit from technology integration.
As Chris says often, “Technology is not additive; technology is transformative.”
Finally, the one real head twister that I got yesterday was during Chris’s own session when he was talking about how his thinking is moving away from the “having kids publish globally to the world” product piece of all of this a “let’s focus on the process of community building and publishing within the walls” approach.
The culture of sharing and participation that is created within the local community is more important almost that making those connections outside.
What's Wrong With This Picture?
Explains how TTWWADI (That's The Way We've Always Done It) affects decisions. One example is how modern rail widths are based on ruts from Roman chariots from 2000 years ago. Any real change in education (or any organization) has to fight against TTWWADI.
Do Generational Differences Matter in Instructional Design?
Literature review of research in generational differences in learning and whether it matters for instructional design. Overall, the authors conclude that there are some generational differences in the workplace, but that the generalities don't warrant making assumptions about any particular individual. The current research also doesn't do enough to account for socioeconomic differences.
elearnspace: Do Generational Differences Matter in Instructional Design
George Siemens raises an interesting question--are the differences really in generations or in technology-based experiences? What should our focus as instructional designers be--differentiating learning based on generations, or helping learners prepare for solving problems when the solution isn't known in advance?
I think, in this instance, the consideration of varied design approaches has been tied to the wrong variable (generational differences). The greater area of change and impact is found in the habits, activities, and needs of learners (not based on generations, but on how technology creates new opportunities for learning networks far beyond the narrow domain of classroom walls).
I'd like to see an instructional design process that attends to the complexity of emergent or unknown processes.
pipwerks.com » Blog Archive » How I build my eLearning courses
An argument for designing e-learning using web standards for better quality, accessibility, portability, and maintenance.
<strong>Most eLearning tools do not promote the creation of effective courses, do not promote web standards, and do not promote accessibility; they merely make cookie-cutter course development easier for technically inexperienced course developers.</strong>
21st-Century Workforce: T.H.E. Journal Online
Looking at skills current graduates are lacking: critical thinking, problem solving, communication. The emphasis on NCLB and standardized tests means less emphasis on these deeper and necessary skills. The solution proposed is to make the curriculum more relevant by integrating these skills throughout.
Sending Your Courses into the Blogosphere: An Introduction for “Old People”
An instructor explains how blogs improved the student ownership and depth of discussions over what they experienced with asynchronous discussion boards. Also includes how blog posts were managed and assessed for the course.
How might faculty members use blogs to help their students reach particular learning goals? I use blogs to accomplish two goals in my courses: to facilitate serious communication and cooperation between students on course–related topics and tasks, and to generate efficient and meaningful class discussions.
The difference with blogs, and it is an important difference, is that students take possession of the class blog in ways they never did with these other products.
The Art of Building Virtual Communities (Techlearning blog)
Two models for understanding roles in online communities: 4L (Linking, Lurking, Learning, Leading) and 4C (Consumer, Commentor, Contributor, Commentator). Also includes some questions and ideas about what makes healthy online communities.
Recap: Women in the edublogosphere 2007 | Janet Clarey
Janet Clarey's extensive list of women edubloggers, with descriptions of why she enjoys reading them. When Janet started blogging last year, she felt there was a lack of female voices, so she started looking for and linking to great blogs written by women.
TeacherTube - Effective Technology Integration
A teacher uses Google Earth to teach students about the Mormon trail and how settlers traveled from Iowa to Utah. She explains how the technology allows students to experience something they wouldn't be able to without the technology. Summarizes how this activity meets principles for good technology use in the classroom.
Wavelength - IDCWC Online - Instructional Design and Content Writing Certificate Course (Online), India
Samples of e-learning content about Bloom's taxonomy and instructional design. I don't agree with everything in the content or how it's presented, but there's always something to learn from looking at other people's interactive learning.
Instructional Technology Resources: Digital Denizens
Instead of Prensky's simple dichotomy of digital native vs. digital immigrant, this author provides additional categories depending on technology use and attitudes rather than age. Includes a quiz for determining where you fit (I'm a digital addict).
Snapshot: Personal Electronic Devices Owned by Students
Eduventures research on technology use by 18-24 year old college students. Almost all students own a cell phone, 79% own a laptop, and 73% own a media player. Students spend up to 5 hours a day online, about half of that for school. Email was the most popular communication tool.
KMWorld.com: The Future of the Future: Boundary-less living, working and learning
Blurring the lines between work, life, and learning. I don't think most of us are completely at this boundary-less balance yet, but working from home certainly does change where my boundaries are.
<p>The bottom line: Organizations can no longer focus strictly on working, while ignoring living and learning. Neither can you, as a knowledge professional. The enterprise of the future must bring all three of those areas into balance.</p><p>Living means loving what you do and finding fulfillment in it. Working means doing what you love, in a way that is both challenging and rewarding. Learning means continually making new discoveries and putting those discoveries to work, both personally and professionally.</p><p>In essence, you and your organization, and your extended network, are now co-dependent. Your ability to grow is limited if your organization and network aren’t growing. Likewise, if you aren’t growing, you are inhibiting the growth of the organizations to which you belong. Think brain trust, as opposed to assembly line.</p>
