Web 2.0: Learning platform for Higher Education
By The Nation
Published on June 21, 2010
Increasingly advanced technology, in particular the Web 2.0 application, can contribute greatly to the learning/teaching process - and all educators should take advantage of it.
Web 2.0 is commonly associated with web applications that facilitate interactive information sharing, interoperability, usercentred design, and collaboration on the World Wide Web.
A Web 2.0 site allows its users to interact with each other as contributors to the website's content, in contrast to websites where users are limited to the passive viewing of information provided to them.
Webbased communities, hosted services, web applications, socialnetworking sites, videosharing sites, and wikipedia.com all rely on this marvellous technology.
When combined with the Internet, Web 2.0 has the potential to transform how humans live, work, and communicate in higher education.
Most universities have already developed learning platforms (LP) to allow students to access course materials and to communicate with their classmates, lecturers and university staff. Such webbased applications usually include web pages, email, message boards, discussion forum, text and video conference, shared diaries and communication tools. Learning Management System (LMS) or Course Management System (CMS) is also introduced.
However, the use of such platforms within an old teaching frame may not deliver much impact at all.
After experimenting with the Web 2.0based LMS, CMS and LP for many semesters, I have found that students do better if the platforms allow them to selfdirect or personalise their learning. I thus strongly believe that ICT pedagogy should encourage students to interact with each other, asking questions and trying to find answers along the way. Such collaborative learning supports active learning and imaginative inquiry by students
Web 2.0 learning platform, therefore, comes as a perfect tool to help students achieve extraordinary learning results in classrooms, laboratories and beyond.
Thanks to Web 2.0 technology, LMS, CMS or LP can play an active role in promoting interaction, networked communication, discussions, integration, and add to the daily lives of the student community - offering users a range of pathways, modes, and styles of learning. It also offers rich opportunities for the individual empowerment of students within multiple learning modalities, which are the sensory channels or pathways through which individuals give, receive, and store information.
Based on my experience, I can testify that students learn better if they think about what they are learning and have an opportunity to engage with the learning materials, rather than simply get the chance to see it and passively use it.
This is why the read/write properties of Web 2.0 can help.
The Web 2.0 technology allows a twoway communication, something vital to university students. Today, Web 2.0 applications, such as blogs, wikis, podcasts, Really Simple Syndication (RSS) feeds, social tagging, mashups, Twitter, Facebook and so on are focused on the creation of communities that allow people with common interests to meet, collaborate and learn from each other. Therefore, educators can use such technology for their students' benefit.
However, the educators must realise that the Web 2.0 is just a tool for education. It is not supposed to replace lecturers in classrooms.
PRIYAKORN PUSAWIRO
Learning ScientistComputer Engineering Department, KMUTTpusawiro@cpe.kmutt.ac.th
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Friday, March 12, 2010
ICT Books (Syllabus)
Auerbach, Carol(2006). Active Training: A Handbook of Techniques, Designs, Case Examples, and Tips .John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated,
Bruns,Axel.(2008). Blogs, Wikipedia, Second Life, and Beyond: From Production to Produsage Peter Lang Pub Inc.
Bruns Axel,&J Jacobs ,j.( 2006). Uses of Blogs: Peter Lang Pub Inc.
Bowles, M. S. (2004). Relearning to E-Learning: Strategies for electronic learning and knowledge. Australia: Melbourne University Press.
Driscoll, M. (2002). Web-based Training: Creating e-Learning Experiences. San Francisco.
Grabe, M. & Grabe,C. (2007) Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning. New York:Houghton Miffin Company.
Hess, G. & Hancock, S. (2001) Using Dreamweaver to Create e-Learning. Vancouver
.
Inglis, A., Ling, P., and Joosten, V. (2002) Delivering Digitally: Managing the Transition to the Knowledge Media, Second Edition London: Kogan Page.
Roblyer, M. D. (2003). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching. Columbus, Ohio: Merril Prentice Hall.
Salmon, G. (2002). E-activities: The Key to Active Online Learning. London. Conducting training workshops: a crash course for beginners (by Eileen K. Van Kavelaar, newest edition)
The workshops that really work (by Hal Portner)--
The Non-Designer's Design Book (Robin Williams)
Katz,Y ,Millin,D,and Offir,B,(1996) The Impact of Information Technology,from Practice to Curriculum,London:Chapman&Hall
Chou,L,and Others.Technology and Education:New Wine in New Bottles Choosing Pasts and Imagining Educational Futures
Conole,G and Oliver,M,(Contemporay Perspectives in Elearning Research,themes,methods and Impact on Practice,London and New York:Routledge
Jung,I,(2005), ICT-Pedagogy Integration in Teacher Training:Application Cases Worldwide,Educational Technology&Society,8(2),94-101
Bruns,Axel.(2008). Blogs, Wikipedia, Second Life, and Beyond: From Production to Produsage Peter Lang Pub Inc.
Bruns Axel,&J Jacobs ,j.( 2006). Uses of Blogs: Peter Lang Pub Inc.
Bowles, M. S. (2004). Relearning to E-Learning: Strategies for electronic learning and knowledge. Australia: Melbourne University Press.
Driscoll, M. (2002). Web-based Training: Creating e-Learning Experiences. San Francisco.
Grabe, M. & Grabe,C. (2007) Integrating Technology for Meaningful Learning. New York:Houghton Miffin Company.
Hess, G. & Hancock, S. (2001) Using Dreamweaver to Create e-Learning. Vancouver
.
Inglis, A., Ling, P., and Joosten, V. (2002) Delivering Digitally: Managing the Transition to the Knowledge Media, Second Edition London: Kogan Page.
Roblyer, M. D. (2003). Integrating Educational Technology into Teaching. Columbus, Ohio: Merril Prentice Hall.
Salmon, G. (2002). E-activities: The Key to Active Online Learning. London. Conducting training workshops: a crash course for beginners (by Eileen K. Van Kavelaar, newest edition)
The workshops that really work (by Hal Portner)--
The Non-Designer's Design Book (Robin Williams)
Katz,Y ,Millin,D,and Offir,B,(1996) The Impact of Information Technology,from Practice to Curriculum,London:Chapman&Hall
Chou,L,and Others.Technology and Education:New Wine in New Bottles Choosing Pasts and Imagining Educational Futures
Conole,G and Oliver,M,(Contemporay Perspectives in Elearning Research,themes,methods and Impact on Practice,London and New York:Routledge
Jung,I,(2005), ICT-Pedagogy Integration in Teacher Training:Application Cases Worldwide,Educational Technology&Society,8(2),94-101
ICT Resources
The following are some of the most used in education:
Google Groups /Docs /Maps*
Blogs*
Slideshare
Wikis *
Jamuse, Museworx
Virtual Earth
Bookmarking
Freemind
* Used in instruction already.
Google Groups /Docs /Maps*
Blogs*
Slideshare
Wikis *
Jamuse, Museworx
Virtual Earth
Bookmarking
Freemind
* Used in instruction already.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Videogames and Teaching
DICK AHLSTROM Science Editor in San Diego
Educators urged to incorporate video games in teaching
US SCIENCE CONFERENCE: FAR FROM being a waste of time, computer games are one of the best learning environments for students, according to an academic who lectures in literacy studies.
He urges educators to incorporate gaming strategies into modern education systems if they want to improve learning.
The idea that computer gaming will numb a student's mind is way off the mark, Prof James Gee of Arizona State University told a session of the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in San Diego. The gaming environment challenges the mind, encourages learning and could transform the standard educational format.
"Commercial video games, the ones that make a lot of money, are nothing but problem-solving spaces," he said yesterday during a session entitled First-Person Solvers? Learning Mathematics in a Video Game.
Prof Gee has been looking at gaming as an educational tool for some years, writing one of the first books on the subject in 2004.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0220/1224264879480.html
He is not advocating the use of Super Mario, Grand Theft Auto or Resident Evil as a way to learn multiplication tables or Irish history. But he wants to make use of the game structure that allows the gamer to learn. Gaming optimises learning in several ways, he says. For starters, games offer new information to the player only when it is needed and not all at once in the beginning.
"We tend to teach science, for example, by telling you a lot of stuff and then letting you do science," he said. "Games teach the other way. They have you do stuff, and then as you need to know information, they tell it to you."
They also coax the mind to engage with the game, in the process challenging the player to learn and advance. Prof Gee calls it being "pleasantly frustrating" as you attempt to overcome a difficult but doable challenge.
Many games also encourage the player to participate directly in the conduct of the game, to modify the playing environment, a process known as "modding".
This means the player must learn the rules of a system before being given access to the game environment to create a scenario. This is deep learning because the person must know much more than simply how to move around a screen or accomplish a task. "Think about it," said Prof Gee. "If you have to make the game, or a part of the game, you come to a deep understanding of the game as a rule system.
"If I had to mod science - that is, I had to make some of my own curriculum or my own experiments - then I would have an understanding at a deep level of what the rules are."
His arguments are not the wishful thinking of a thwarted gamer who grew up too soon. What he describes is already being put into practice. Prof Brianno Coller of Northern Illinois University uses gaming to help his mechanical engineering students to absorb the difficult mathematics of the subject.
He put together a driving game similar to Need for Speed or Gran Turismo, but driving in this case requires the application of mathematical tools and techniques.
Educators urged to incorporate video games in teaching
US SCIENCE CONFERENCE: FAR FROM being a waste of time, computer games are one of the best learning environments for students, according to an academic who lectures in literacy studies.
He urges educators to incorporate gaming strategies into modern education systems if they want to improve learning.
The idea that computer gaming will numb a student's mind is way off the mark, Prof James Gee of Arizona State University told a session of the American Association for the Advancement of Science annual meeting in San Diego. The gaming environment challenges the mind, encourages learning and could transform the standard educational format.
"Commercial video games, the ones that make a lot of money, are nothing but problem-solving spaces," he said yesterday during a session entitled First-Person Solvers? Learning Mathematics in a Video Game.
Prof Gee has been looking at gaming as an educational tool for some years, writing one of the first books on the subject in 2004.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0220/1224264879480.html
He is not advocating the use of Super Mario, Grand Theft Auto or Resident Evil as a way to learn multiplication tables or Irish history. But he wants to make use of the game structure that allows the gamer to learn. Gaming optimises learning in several ways, he says. For starters, games offer new information to the player only when it is needed and not all at once in the beginning.
"We tend to teach science, for example, by telling you a lot of stuff and then letting you do science," he said. "Games teach the other way. They have you do stuff, and then as you need to know information, they tell it to you."
They also coax the mind to engage with the game, in the process challenging the player to learn and advance. Prof Gee calls it being "pleasantly frustrating" as you attempt to overcome a difficult but doable challenge.
Many games also encourage the player to participate directly in the conduct of the game, to modify the playing environment, a process known as "modding".
This means the player must learn the rules of a system before being given access to the game environment to create a scenario. This is deep learning because the person must know much more than simply how to move around a screen or accomplish a task. "Think about it," said Prof Gee. "If you have to make the game, or a part of the game, you come to a deep understanding of the game as a rule system.
"If I had to mod science - that is, I had to make some of my own curriculum or my own experiments - then I would have an understanding at a deep level of what the rules are."
His arguments are not the wishful thinking of a thwarted gamer who grew up too soon. What he describes is already being put into practice. Prof Brianno Coller of Northern Illinois University uses gaming to help his mechanical engineering students to absorb the difficult mathematics of the subject.
He put together a driving game similar to Need for Speed or Gran Turismo, but driving in this case requires the application of mathematical tools and techniques.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Web 2.0...The machine is us/ing Us by Michael Wesch
This clip attained a monster digg count if I remember correctly...and just took off.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLlGopyXT_g [final version here but didn't work for me]
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Educational Blogs
Always looking to improve the overall layout of my blog. Will investigate at a later stage:
http://edublogs.org/
http://edublogs.org/
Footprints in the Digital Age by Will Richardson
This article which dates back to November 2008 has received immense positive coverage on the net.
Footprints in the Digital Age (Educational Leadership)
Will Richardson
In the Web 2.0 world, self-directed learners must be adept at building and sustaining networks.
As the geeky father of a 9-year-old son and an 11-year-old daughter, one of my worst fears as they grow older is that they won't be Googled well. Not that they won't be able to use Google well, mind you, but that when a certain someone (read: admissions officer, employer, potential mate) enters "Tess Richardson" into the search line of the browser, what comes up will be less than impressive. That a quick surf through the top five hits will fail to astound with examples of her creativity, collaborative skills, and change-the-world work. Or, even worse, that no links about her will come up at all. I mean, what might "Your search did not match any documents" imply?
It's a consequence of the new Web 2.0 world that these digital footprints—the online portfolios of who we are, what we do, and by association, what we know—are becoming increasingly woven into the fabric of almost every aspect of our lives. In all likelihood, you, your school, your teachers, or your students are already being Googled on a regular basis, with information surfacing from news articles, blog posts, YouTube videos, Flickr photos, and Facebook groups. Some of it may be good, some may be bad, and most is beyond your control. Your personal footprint—and to some extent your school's—is most likely being written without you, thanks to the billions of us worldwide who now have our own printing presses and can publish what we want when we want to.
On the surface, that's an unsettling thought—but it doesn't have to be. In fact, if we are willing to embrace the moment rather than recoil from it, we may find opportunities to empower students to learn deeply and continually in ways that we could scarcely have imagined just a decade ago.
Networking: The New Literacy
Whether we like it or not, social Web technologies are having a huge influence on students who are lucky enough to be connected, even the youngest ones. Many 7- and 8-year-olds are busy exploring Club Penguin or Webkinz with other 7- and 8-year-olds half a world away, middle schoolers are connecting with global warriors in World of Warcraft, and adolescents preen themselves in front of their "friends" on MySpace and Facebook. A recent National School Boards Association survey (2007) announced that upward of 80 percent of young people who are online are networking and that 70 percent of them are regularly discussing education-related topics. They're creating all sorts of content—some, as we all know, doing so very badly—and they're doing all sorts of things with online tools that, for the most part, we're not teaching them anything about. In the process, they're becoming Googleable without us. By and large, they do all this creating, publishing, and learning on their own, outside school, because when they enter the classroom, they typically "turn off the lights" (Prensky, 2008).
This may be the first large technological shift in history that's being driven by children. Picture a bus. Your students are standing in the front; most teachers (maybe even you) are in the back, hanging on to the seat straps as the bus careens down the road under the guidance of kids who have never been taught to steer and who are figuring it out as they go.
In short, for a host of reasons, we're failing to empower kids to use one of the most important technologies for learning that we've ever had. One of the biggest challenges educators face right now is figuring out how to help students create, navigate, and grow the powerful, individualized networks of learning that bloom on the Web and helping them do this effectively, ethically, and safely. The new literacy means being able to function in and leverage the potential of easy-to-create, collaborative, transparent online groups and networks, which represent a "tectonic shift" in the way we need to think about the world and our place in it (Shirky, 2008). This shift requires us to create engaged learners, not simply knowers, and to reconsider the roles of schools and educators.
As author John Seely Brown (Brown & Adler, 2008) points out, these shifts demand that we move our concept of learning from a "supply-push" model of "building up an inventory of knowledge in the students' heads" (p. 30) to a "demand-pull" approach that requires students to own their learning processes and pursue learning, based on their needs of the moment, in social and possibly global communities of practice. Our students must be nomadic, flexible, mobile learners who depend not so much on what they can recall as on their ability to connect with people and resources and edit content on their desktops, or, even more likely, on pocket-size devices they carry around with them. Our teachers have to be colearners in this process, modeling their own use of connections and networks and understanding the practical pedagogical implications of these technologies and online social learning spaces.
Transparent and Trackable
So what literacies must we educators master before we can help students make the most of these powerful potentials? It starts, as author Clay Shirky (2008) suggests, with an understanding of how transparency fosters connections and with a willingness to share our work and, to some extent, our personal lives. Sharing is the fundamental building block for building connections and networks; it may take the form of ruminations on life in a blog, photos of the latest family picnic on Flickr, or discussion notes students post to a classroom wiki for others to read and contribute to.
Publishing content online not only begins the process of becoming "Googleable," it also makes us findable by others who share our passions or interests. A few years ago, the teacher who stood up in a professional development gathering in Atlanta, Georgia, and voiced his passion for "mountain biking—on a unicycle" would have had little ability to find others who enjoy such pursuits and learn with them about that avocation. Today, he can easily connect to other "municyclists" who share their adventures on their blogs or in YouTube videos. In doing so, provided he knows whom and what to trust, he can learn a great deal.
Although many students are used to sharing content online, they need to learn how to share within the context of network building. They need to know that publishing has a nobler goal than just readership—and that's engagement. Take, for example, the story of Laura Stockman, a 10-year-old from the Buffalo, New York, area. Last December, in an effort to honor the memory of her grandfather who had died the year before, Laura decided to do one good deed each day in the run-up to Christmas. She decided, with her mother's approval, to share her work with the world.
Laura's blog, "Twenty-Five Days to Make a Difference" (http://twentyfivedays.wordpress.com), quickly caught the eye of some other philanthropic bloggers. Within a short time, Laura found herself in the midst of a community of volunteers far outside her geographic reach. The ClustrMap on her site tracks tens of thousands of readers from such places as China, Australia, Africa, and South America (see http://www3.clustrmaps.com/counter/maps.php?user=2cf404cc).
But here is the difference: Laura is not just publishing, and others are not just reading. Now when she wants ideas for charities to work for as her project enters its 11th month, Laura says, "I ask my readers" (Richardson, 2008). She has collected hundreds of books for local libraries and dozens of pajamas for kids in need; she has raised thousands of dollars for charities ranging from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to local homeless shelters. In fact, Laura has become a go-to expert on younger kids doing charity work. Last April, students in Florida who wanted to make a difference in their own community interviewed her live online. Her interactions with her network, on both her blog and the other blogs she reads, teach her much about a passion that is not in the standard curriculum. In the process, Laura is already on her way to being Googled well.
In addition, under her mother's guidance and care, Laura is learning online network literacies firsthand. As Stanford researcher Danah Boyd (2007) points out, we are discovering the potentials and pitfalls of this new public space. What we say today in our blogs and videos will persist long into the future and not simply end up in the paper recycling bin when we clean out our desks at the end of the year. What we say is copyable; others can take it, use it, or change it with ease, making our ability to edit content and comprehend the ethical use of the content we read even more crucial. The things we create are searchable to an extent never before imagined and will be viewed by all sorts of audiences, both intended and unintended.
What Students Need to Know
These new realities demand that we prepare students to be educated, sophisticated owners of online spaces. Although Laura is able to connect, does she understand, as researcher Stephen Downes (2005) suggests, that her network must be diverse, that she must actively seek dissenting voices who might push her thinking in ways that the "echo chamber" of kindred thinkers might not? Is she doing the work of finding new voices to include in the conversation? Is she able to make astute decisions about the people with whom she interacts, keeping herself safe from those who might mean her harm? Is she learning balance in her use of technology, or is she falling into the common pattern of spending hours at the keyboard, losing herself in the network? This 10-year-old probably still needs to learn many of these things, and she needs the guidance of teachers and adults who know them in their own practice.
More than ever before, students have the potential to own their own learning—and we have to help them seize that potential. We must help them learn how to identify their passions; build connections to others who share those passions; and communicate, collaborate, and work collectively with these networks. And we must do this not simply as a unit built around "Information and Web Literacy." Instead, we must make these new ways of collaborating and connecting a transparent part of the way we deliver curriculum from kindergarten to graduation.
Younger students need to see their teachers engaging experts in synchronous or asynchronous online conversations about content, and they need to begin to practice intelligently and appropriately sharing work with global audiences. Middle school students should be engaged in the process of cooperating and collaborating with others outside the classroom around their shared passions, just as they have seen their teachers do. And older students should be engaging in the hard work of what Shirky (2008) calls "collective action," sharing responsibility and outcomes in doing real work for real purposes for real audiences online.
But to do all that, we educators must first own these technologies and be able to take advantage of these networked learning spaces. In this way, we can fully prepare students not just to be Googled well, but to be findable in good ways by people who share their passions for learning and who may well end up being lifelong teachers, mentors, or friends.
Get Started!
Here are five ideas that will help you begin building your own personal learning network.
1. Read blogs related to your passion. Search out topics of interest at http://blogsearch.google.com and see who shares those interests.
2. Participate. If you find bloggers out there who are writing interesting and relevant posts, share your reflections and experiences by commenting on their posts.
3. Use your real name. It's a requisite step to be Googled well. Be prudent, of course, about divulging any personal information that puts you at risk, and guide students in how they can do the same.
4. Start a Facebook page. Educators need to understand the potential of social networking for themselves.
5. Explore Twitter (http://twitter.com), a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables users to exchange short updates of 140 characters or fewer. It may not look like much at first glance, but with Twitter, the network can be at your fingertips.
References
Boyd, D. (2007). Social network sites: Public, private, or what? The Knowledge Tree, 13. Available: http://kt.flexiblelearning.net.au/tkt2007/edition-13/social-network-sites-public-private-or-what/
Brown, J. S., & Adler, R. P. (2008). Minds on fire: Open education, the long tail, and learning 2.0. Educause Review, 43(1), 16–32.
Downes, S. (2005). An introduction to connective knowledge. Stephen's Web. Available: www.downes.ca/cgi-bin/page.cgi?post=33034
National School Boards Association. (2007). Creating and connecting: Research and guidelines on social—and educational—networking. Alexandria, VA: Author. Available: www.nsba.org/site/view.asp?CID=63&DID=41340
Prensky, M. (2008). Turning on the lights. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40–45.
Richardson, W. (2008, May 23). I asked my readers. Weblogg-ed. Available: http://weblogg-ed.com/2008/i-asked-my-readers
Shirky, C. (2008). Here comes everybody: The power of organizing without organizations. New York: Penguin Press.
Will Richardson is the author of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Tools for Classrooms (Corwin Press, 2006) and cofounder of Powerful Learning Practice (http://plpnetwork.com). He blogs at http://weblogg-ed.com and can be reached at weblogged@gmail.com.
Footprints in the Digital Age (Educational Leadership)
Will Richardson
In the Web 2.0 world, self-directed learners must be adept at building and sustaining networks.
As the geeky father of a 9-year-old son and an 11-year-old daughter, one of my worst fears as they grow older is that they won't be Googled well. Not that they won't be able to use Google well, mind you, but that when a certain someone (read: admissions officer, employer, potential mate) enters "Tess Richardson" into the search line of the browser, what comes up will be less than impressive. That a quick surf through the top five hits will fail to astound with examples of her creativity, collaborative skills, and change-the-world work. Or, even worse, that no links about her will come up at all. I mean, what might "Your search did not match any documents" imply?
It's a consequence of the new Web 2.0 world that these digital footprints—the online portfolios of who we are, what we do, and by association, what we know—are becoming increasingly woven into the fabric of almost every aspect of our lives. In all likelihood, you, your school, your teachers, or your students are already being Googled on a regular basis, with information surfacing from news articles, blog posts, YouTube videos, Flickr photos, and Facebook groups. Some of it may be good, some may be bad, and most is beyond your control. Your personal footprint—and to some extent your school's—is most likely being written without you, thanks to the billions of us worldwide who now have our own printing presses and can publish what we want when we want to.
On the surface, that's an unsettling thought—but it doesn't have to be. In fact, if we are willing to embrace the moment rather than recoil from it, we may find opportunities to empower students to learn deeply and continually in ways that we could scarcely have imagined just a decade ago.
Networking: The New Literacy
Whether we like it or not, social Web technologies are having a huge influence on students who are lucky enough to be connected, even the youngest ones. Many 7- and 8-year-olds are busy exploring Club Penguin or Webkinz with other 7- and 8-year-olds half a world away, middle schoolers are connecting with global warriors in World of Warcraft, and adolescents preen themselves in front of their "friends" on MySpace and Facebook. A recent National School Boards Association survey (2007) announced that upward of 80 percent of young people who are online are networking and that 70 percent of them are regularly discussing education-related topics. They're creating all sorts of content—some, as we all know, doing so very badly—and they're doing all sorts of things with online tools that, for the most part, we're not teaching them anything about. In the process, they're becoming Googleable without us. By and large, they do all this creating, publishing, and learning on their own, outside school, because when they enter the classroom, they typically "turn off the lights" (Prensky, 2008).
This may be the first large technological shift in history that's being driven by children. Picture a bus. Your students are standing in the front; most teachers (maybe even you) are in the back, hanging on to the seat straps as the bus careens down the road under the guidance of kids who have never been taught to steer and who are figuring it out as they go.
In short, for a host of reasons, we're failing to empower kids to use one of the most important technologies for learning that we've ever had. One of the biggest challenges educators face right now is figuring out how to help students create, navigate, and grow the powerful, individualized networks of learning that bloom on the Web and helping them do this effectively, ethically, and safely. The new literacy means being able to function in and leverage the potential of easy-to-create, collaborative, transparent online groups and networks, which represent a "tectonic shift" in the way we need to think about the world and our place in it (Shirky, 2008). This shift requires us to create engaged learners, not simply knowers, and to reconsider the roles of schools and educators.
As author John Seely Brown (Brown & Adler, 2008) points out, these shifts demand that we move our concept of learning from a "supply-push" model of "building up an inventory of knowledge in the students' heads" (p. 30) to a "demand-pull" approach that requires students to own their learning processes and pursue learning, based on their needs of the moment, in social and possibly global communities of practice. Our students must be nomadic, flexible, mobile learners who depend not so much on what they can recall as on their ability to connect with people and resources and edit content on their desktops, or, even more likely, on pocket-size devices they carry around with them. Our teachers have to be colearners in this process, modeling their own use of connections and networks and understanding the practical pedagogical implications of these technologies and online social learning spaces.
Transparent and Trackable
So what literacies must we educators master before we can help students make the most of these powerful potentials? It starts, as author Clay Shirky (2008) suggests, with an understanding of how transparency fosters connections and with a willingness to share our work and, to some extent, our personal lives. Sharing is the fundamental building block for building connections and networks; it may take the form of ruminations on life in a blog, photos of the latest family picnic on Flickr, or discussion notes students post to a classroom wiki for others to read and contribute to.
Publishing content online not only begins the process of becoming "Googleable," it also makes us findable by others who share our passions or interests. A few years ago, the teacher who stood up in a professional development gathering in Atlanta, Georgia, and voiced his passion for "mountain biking—on a unicycle" would have had little ability to find others who enjoy such pursuits and learn with them about that avocation. Today, he can easily connect to other "municyclists" who share their adventures on their blogs or in YouTube videos. In doing so, provided he knows whom and what to trust, he can learn a great deal.
Although many students are used to sharing content online, they need to learn how to share within the context of network building. They need to know that publishing has a nobler goal than just readership—and that's engagement. Take, for example, the story of Laura Stockman, a 10-year-old from the Buffalo, New York, area. Last December, in an effort to honor the memory of her grandfather who had died the year before, Laura decided to do one good deed each day in the run-up to Christmas. She decided, with her mother's approval, to share her work with the world.
Laura's blog, "Twenty-Five Days to Make a Difference" (http://twentyfivedays.wordpress.com), quickly caught the eye of some other philanthropic bloggers. Within a short time, Laura found herself in the midst of a community of volunteers far outside her geographic reach. The ClustrMap on her site tracks tens of thousands of readers from such places as China, Australia, Africa, and South America (see http://www3.clustrmaps.com/counter/maps.php?user=2cf404cc).
But here is the difference: Laura is not just publishing, and others are not just reading. Now when she wants ideas for charities to work for as her project enters its 11th month, Laura says, "I ask my readers" (Richardson, 2008). She has collected hundreds of books for local libraries and dozens of pajamas for kids in need; she has raised thousands of dollars for charities ranging from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to local homeless shelters. In fact, Laura has become a go-to expert on younger kids doing charity work. Last April, students in Florida who wanted to make a difference in their own community interviewed her live online. Her interactions with her network, on both her blog and the other blogs she reads, teach her much about a passion that is not in the standard curriculum. In the process, Laura is already on her way to being Googled well.
In addition, under her mother's guidance and care, Laura is learning online network literacies firsthand. As Stanford researcher Danah Boyd (2007) points out, we are discovering the potentials and pitfalls of this new public space. What we say today in our blogs and videos will persist long into the future and not simply end up in the paper recycling bin when we clean out our desks at the end of the year. What we say is copyable; others can take it, use it, or change it with ease, making our ability to edit content and comprehend the ethical use of the content we read even more crucial. The things we create are searchable to an extent never before imagined and will be viewed by all sorts of audiences, both intended and unintended.
What Students Need to Know
These new realities demand that we prepare students to be educated, sophisticated owners of online spaces. Although Laura is able to connect, does she understand, as researcher Stephen Downes (2005) suggests, that her network must be diverse, that she must actively seek dissenting voices who might push her thinking in ways that the "echo chamber" of kindred thinkers might not? Is she doing the work of finding new voices to include in the conversation? Is she able to make astute decisions about the people with whom she interacts, keeping herself safe from those who might mean her harm? Is she learning balance in her use of technology, or is she falling into the common pattern of spending hours at the keyboard, losing herself in the network? This 10-year-old probably still needs to learn many of these things, and she needs the guidance of teachers and adults who know them in their own practice.
More than ever before, students have the potential to own their own learning—and we have to help them seize that potential. We must help them learn how to identify their passions; build connections to others who share those passions; and communicate, collaborate, and work collectively with these networks. And we must do this not simply as a unit built around "Information and Web Literacy." Instead, we must make these new ways of collaborating and connecting a transparent part of the way we deliver curriculum from kindergarten to graduation.
Younger students need to see their teachers engaging experts in synchronous or asynchronous online conversations about content, and they need to begin to practice intelligently and appropriately sharing work with global audiences. Middle school students should be engaged in the process of cooperating and collaborating with others outside the classroom around their shared passions, just as they have seen their teachers do. And older students should be engaging in the hard work of what Shirky (2008) calls "collective action," sharing responsibility and outcomes in doing real work for real purposes for real audiences online.
But to do all that, we educators must first own these technologies and be able to take advantage of these networked learning spaces. In this way, we can fully prepare students not just to be Googled well, but to be findable in good ways by people who share their passions for learning and who may well end up being lifelong teachers, mentors, or friends.
Get Started!
Here are five ideas that will help you begin building your own personal learning network.
1. Read blogs related to your passion. Search out topics of interest at http://blogsearch.google.com and see who shares those interests.
2. Participate. If you find bloggers out there who are writing interesting and relevant posts, share your reflections and experiences by commenting on their posts.
3. Use your real name. It's a requisite step to be Googled well. Be prudent, of course, about divulging any personal information that puts you at risk, and guide students in how they can do the same.
4. Start a Facebook page. Educators need to understand the potential of social networking for themselves.
5. Explore Twitter (http://twitter.com), a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables users to exchange short updates of 140 characters or fewer. It may not look like much at first glance, but with Twitter, the network can be at your fingertips.
References
Boyd, D. (2007). Social network sites: Public, private, or what? The Knowledge Tree, 13. Available: http://kt.flexiblelearning.net.au/tkt2007/edition-13/social-network-sites-public-private-or-what/
Brown, J. S., & Adler, R. P. (2008). Minds on fire: Open education, the long tail, and learning 2.0. Educause Review, 43(1), 16–32.
Downes, S. (2005). An introduction to connective knowledge. Stephen's Web. Available: www.downes.ca/cgi-bin/page.cgi?post=33034
National School Boards Association. (2007). Creating and connecting: Research and guidelines on social—and educational—networking. Alexandria, VA: Author. Available: www.nsba.org/site/view.asp?CID=63&DID=41340
Prensky, M. (2008). Turning on the lights. Educational Leadership, 65(6), 40–45.
Richardson, W. (2008, May 23). I asked my readers. Weblogg-ed. Available: http://weblogg-ed.com/2008/i-asked-my-readers
Shirky, C. (2008). Here comes everybody: The power of organizing without organizations. New York: Penguin Press.
Will Richardson is the author of Blogs, Wikis, Podcasts, and Other Powerful Tools for Classrooms (Corwin Press, 2006) and cofounder of Powerful Learning Practice (http://plpnetwork.com). He blogs at http://weblogg-ed.com and can be reached at weblogged@gmail.com.
Monday, March 1, 2010
ICT in Thai Education Ideological and Structural Determinants that Support its Development, Introduction and Use
This 2005 article by Pote Sapianchai and Paul TJ James echoes the notion that the Thai education system is to undergo radical change because of the increasing importance of technology. Unesco is in agreement with this: " ..through ICT, disparities in educational access and quality can be reduced, and education systems can enhance the knowledge and skills of their learners and promote creativity, critical thinking, and learning how to learn." There are obstacles to "plugging" its usage into the curriculum; its unclear if it is the technology itself, teacher knowledge or the underlying tech. strategy.
Within society, there are vast disparities between those with access to ICT and those without: "South East Asian countries are struggling to come to terms with challeges of the digital divide, as the ...rapidity of ICT development also exacerbates the problems of those without access to ICT..."(Tipton, 2002).
In conclusion, it is essential to have teaching methods that are best suited to ICT instruction. Fundamentally what is required is an integrated ICT strategy for individual institutions. All individuals must be on the same page. Attitudes to technology should be pencilled in also. Locally, interactive teaching and learning strategies should be culturally specific. " However, acceptance of the use of such technology appears to reflect a set of ideological, political and cultural biases that narrow the field of socialisation to that invested in the technology." In the future, ICT installation will require serious consideration.
Within society, there are vast disparities between those with access to ICT and those without: "South East Asian countries are struggling to come to terms with challeges of the digital divide, as the ...rapidity of ICT development also exacerbates the problems of those without access to ICT..."(Tipton, 2002).
In conclusion, it is essential to have teaching methods that are best suited to ICT instruction. Fundamentally what is required is an integrated ICT strategy for individual institutions. All individuals must be on the same page. Attitudes to technology should be pencilled in also. Locally, interactive teaching and learning strategies should be culturally specific. " However, acceptance of the use of such technology appears to reflect a set of ideological, political and cultural biases that narrow the field of socialisation to that invested in the technology." In the future, ICT installation will require serious consideration.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Sunday, February 21, 2010
ICT References
ICT in Education Free Online References
http://www.bu.ac.th/knowledgecenter/epaper/july_dec2005/pote.pdf
Notes:
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/weblogs/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnJ2moNmbdk
http://www.internet4classrooms.com/on-line_quest.htm
http://www.adobe.com/resources/acrobatconnect/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites
http://as.pfeiffer.com/WileyCDA/PfeifferTitle/productCd-0787976237,descCd-authorInfo.html
http://www.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.htm
http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book/
http://www.elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=tutorials
http://www.teach-nology.com/?web_tools/rubrics/
http://www.carla.umn.edu/assessment/vac/
http://www.uwec.edu/library/
http://cst.unesco-ci.org/sites/projects/cst/default.aspx
http://www.undp.org/execbrd/pdf/DP2001CRP8.PDF
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTINFORMATIONANDCOMMUNICATIONANDTECHNOLOGIES/EXTIC4D/0,,menuPK:5870641~pagePK:64168427~piPK:64168435~theSitePK:5870636,00.html
http://www.bu.ac.th/knowledgecenter/epaper/july_dec2005/pote.pdf
Notes:
http://www.det.wa.edu.au/education/cmis/eval/curriculum/ict/weblogs/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FnJ2moNmbdk
http://www.internet4classrooms.com/on-line_quest.htm
http://www.adobe.com/resources/acrobatconnect/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_social_networking_websites
http://as.pfeiffer.com/WileyCDA/PfeifferTitle/productCd-0787976237,descCd-authorInfo.html
http://www.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.htm
http://cde.athabascau.ca/online_book/
http://www.elearnmag.org/subpage.cfm?section=tutorials
http://www.teach-nology.com/?web_tools/rubrics/
http://www.carla.umn.edu/assessment/vac/
http://www.uwec.edu/library/
http://cst.unesco-ci.org/sites/projects/cst/default.aspx
http://www.undp.org/execbrd/pdf/DP2001CRP8.PDF
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/TOPICS/EXTINFORMATIONANDCOMMUNICATIONANDTECHNOLOGIES/EXTIC4D/0,,menuPK:5870641~pagePK:64168427~piPK:64168435~theSitePK:5870636,00.html
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Group Work
An Analysis of King Tutankhamun
Questionnaire: Who (if anybody) does the author suggest may have killed him?
A number of theorists have put forward the notion that he was murdered. In 1968, a trauma specialist at Long Island University concluded that there was evidence of subdural hematoma. The blow to the back of the head was in an unusual place, and it was inferred that it could not have occurred from a chariot accident. Likewise, Michael R. King, an author, agreed with this explanation in his book, “Who Killed King Tut” (2006). The alleged killers who were put forward as having committed this heinous crime were his wife, Ay, the successor, and their chariot-driver.
Q. 2005 Findings
Zahi Hawass, an archaeologist, conducted the 15 minute CT scan of the pharoah’s mummy, and the main conclusion that can be derived is that this human had suffered a leg injury a few days prior to dying of gangrene. The answer to the death of Tutankhamen is still unclear but “present knowledge” leans towards him having being jolted off his chariot. The CT scan analysis of the skull exhibits hemorrhaging possibly from contra-coup injury. As far as the experts can date back, it seems as if he would have died during the hunting season because of the lengthy period of time it takes to complete the embalming process, and the spring flowers that adorn his neck. Some interesting facts about the young king were that he was 19 years when he died and had been in good health up to that point in time. Also he contains many similarities with his father’s physiology – he had a cleft palate and scoliosis which are factors in Klipped-Feil syndrome. It may have have played a role during the chariot crash. It is difficult to reconstruct the exact events around this period (1333 – 1324 BCE) although foul play does not seem to been an option or a direct blow to the back of the head.
Source as specified: www.wikipedia.com
Questionnaire: Who (if anybody) does the author suggest may have killed him?
A number of theorists have put forward the notion that he was murdered. In 1968, a trauma specialist at Long Island University concluded that there was evidence of subdural hematoma. The blow to the back of the head was in an unusual place, and it was inferred that it could not have occurred from a chariot accident. Likewise, Michael R. King, an author, agreed with this explanation in his book, “Who Killed King Tut” (2006). The alleged killers who were put forward as having committed this heinous crime were his wife, Ay, the successor, and their chariot-driver.
Q. 2005 Findings
Zahi Hawass, an archaeologist, conducted the 15 minute CT scan of the pharoah’s mummy, and the main conclusion that can be derived is that this human had suffered a leg injury a few days prior to dying of gangrene. The answer to the death of Tutankhamen is still unclear but “present knowledge” leans towards him having being jolted off his chariot. The CT scan analysis of the skull exhibits hemorrhaging possibly from contra-coup injury. As far as the experts can date back, it seems as if he would have died during the hunting season because of the lengthy period of time it takes to complete the embalming process, and the spring flowers that adorn his neck. Some interesting facts about the young king were that he was 19 years when he died and had been in good health up to that point in time. Also he contains many similarities with his father’s physiology – he had a cleft palate and scoliosis which are factors in Klipped-Feil syndrome. It may have have played a role during the chariot crash. It is difficult to reconstruct the exact events around this period (1333 – 1324 BCE) although foul play does not seem to been an option or a direct blow to the back of the head.
Source as specified: www.wikipedia.com
Malaria, Genetic Diseases plagued King Tut
(CNN) -- The legendary Egyptian "boy king" Tutankhamun, commonly known as King Tut, died of conditions including malaria and complications from a leg fracture, according to a study published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Tutankhamun's tomb was discovered in 1922, but his life remains shrouded in mystery, and not much is known about him. He ruled during the 18th Dynasty, from 1336-1327 B.C., according to the Web site Egyptology Online, and is believed to have died young. Forensic analysis of his mummy has put his age of death at about 17 to 19 years.
In the study published this week, researchers used anthropological, radiological and genetic testing to examine Tut and 10 other bodies mummified over a two-year period during Tut's dynasty.
Previously, based on historical records and earlier digs, Zahi Hawass, the lead investigator of the study, had said Tut could have been the son of Amenhotep III, a successful and popular king of the 18th Dynasty, who was later known as Akhenaten.
Through DNA, Hawass' researchers determined that was indeed the case, and that Tut was married to his sister. Scientists believe that genetics and inherited diseases played a role in Tut's health because of inbreeding within the family.
RELATED TOPICS
* Egypt
* Journal of the American Medical Association
* King Tutankhamen
"We know there were weaknesses in these mummies, perhaps even cardiovascular problems," Hawass said.
When researchers scanned Tut's mummy, they found he not only had severe kyphoscoliosis, or curvature of the spine, but also suffered from a toe malformation known as oligodactyly. The condition made his left foot swell, and it would have caused excruciating pain when he walked.
"In ancient drawings we see Tut shooting arrows, not standing, but sitting in a chariot. This was unusual," Hawass said. "In his tomb, we also found 100 walking sticks. Originally we thought they represented power. But they were ancient crutches that he obviously used. He could barely stand."
Hawass said by taking his prior research and combining it with his most recent findings, the cause of Tut's death became pretty clear to him.
"The purpose of the CT scan (in 2005) was to see if he was murdered, because earlier X-rays had found there was a hole in his skull," Hawass said. "But we found the hole was made during mummification. However, we did find a large fracture in his left femur that probably contributed to his death."
Hawass theorized a fall could have hastened Tut's death. But DNA testing also showed evidence of plasmodium falciparum, a protozoan parasite that causes malaria in humans. The parasite has been found in many other mummies, as well. Hawass said he believes the combination of the serious fracture and the deadly parasite killed the young king.
"This is very exciting that we can take modern technology and learn more about Egyptian history," said Howard Markel, a medical historian at the University of Michigan's Center for the History of Medicine.
"Mummies are very powerful tools," he said. "We can learn a lot from the dead, how illnesses evolve."
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/16/king.tut.malaria/index.html?hpt=C1
Tutankhamun's tomb was discovered in 1922, but his life remains shrouded in mystery, and not much is known about him. He ruled during the 18th Dynasty, from 1336-1327 B.C., according to the Web site Egyptology Online, and is believed to have died young. Forensic analysis of his mummy has put his age of death at about 17 to 19 years.
In the study published this week, researchers used anthropological, radiological and genetic testing to examine Tut and 10 other bodies mummified over a two-year period during Tut's dynasty.
Previously, based on historical records and earlier digs, Zahi Hawass, the lead investigator of the study, had said Tut could have been the son of Amenhotep III, a successful and popular king of the 18th Dynasty, who was later known as Akhenaten.
Through DNA, Hawass' researchers determined that was indeed the case, and that Tut was married to his sister. Scientists believe that genetics and inherited diseases played a role in Tut's health because of inbreeding within the family.
RELATED TOPICS
* Egypt
* Journal of the American Medical Association
* King Tutankhamen
"We know there were weaknesses in these mummies, perhaps even cardiovascular problems," Hawass said.
When researchers scanned Tut's mummy, they found he not only had severe kyphoscoliosis, or curvature of the spine, but also suffered from a toe malformation known as oligodactyly. The condition made his left foot swell, and it would have caused excruciating pain when he walked.
"In ancient drawings we see Tut shooting arrows, not standing, but sitting in a chariot. This was unusual," Hawass said. "In his tomb, we also found 100 walking sticks. Originally we thought they represented power. But they were ancient crutches that he obviously used. He could barely stand."
Hawass said by taking his prior research and combining it with his most recent findings, the cause of Tut's death became pretty clear to him.
"The purpose of the CT scan (in 2005) was to see if he was murdered, because earlier X-rays had found there was a hole in his skull," Hawass said. "But we found the hole was made during mummification. However, we did find a large fracture in his left femur that probably contributed to his death."
Hawass theorized a fall could have hastened Tut's death. But DNA testing also showed evidence of plasmodium falciparum, a protozoan parasite that causes malaria in humans. The parasite has been found in many other mummies, as well. Hawass said he believes the combination of the serious fracture and the deadly parasite killed the young king.
"This is very exciting that we can take modern technology and learn more about Egyptian history," said Howard Markel, a medical historian at the University of Michigan's Center for the History of Medicine.
"Mummies are very powerful tools," he said. "We can learn a lot from the dead, how illnesses evolve."
http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/16/king.tut.malaria/index.html?hpt=C1
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Blow, Bugle, Blow Alfred Tennyson
THE splendour falls on castle walls
And snowy summits old in story:
The long light shakes across the lakes,
And the wild cataract leaps in glory.
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying, 5
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying.
O hark, O hear! how thin and clear,
And thinner, clearer, farther going!
O sweet and far from cliff and scar
The horns of Elfland faintly blowing! 10
Blow, let us hear the purple glens replying:
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying.
O love, they die in yon rich sky,
They faint on hill or field or river:
Our echoes roll from soul to soul, 15
And grow for ever and for ever.
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,
And answer, echoes, answer, dying, dying, dying.
And snowy summits old in story:
The long light shakes across the lakes,
And the wild cataract leaps in glory.
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying, 5
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying.
O hark, O hear! how thin and clear,
And thinner, clearer, farther going!
O sweet and far from cliff and scar
The horns of Elfland faintly blowing! 10
Blow, let us hear the purple glens replying:
Blow, bugle; answer, echoes, dying, dying, dying.
O love, they die in yon rich sky,
They faint on hill or field or river:
Our echoes roll from soul to soul, 15
And grow for ever and for ever.
Blow, bugle, blow, set the wild echoes flying,
And answer, echoes, answer, dying, dying, dying.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
ICT in Thai Education
http://www.bu.ac.th/knowledgecenter/epaper/july_dec2005/pote.pdf
Review of this 2005 article is to follow!
YeS.
Review of this 2005 article is to follow!
YeS.
Reflection on MI with Apps
Multiple Intelligences
This topic has been researched extensively, and it is a core concept of pedagogy.
Therefore, it deserves a cursory knowledge at least by any educator. Howard Gardner posed the conundrum
why are you smart as opposed to how smart are you which was the traditional analysis. Many others have
been involved beginning with Thurstone and more recently J.P. Guildford. This was a quantum leap and over
the last few decades it has become more encompassing to the numerous forms of intelligence that humans
possess. It’s brilliant because of its necessity. And where people may be intelligent in some ways, they may
be less so in others. Broadening the number from a purely mathematical and linguistic perspective is
useful although maybe some of the newer intelligences that have been generated have moved the boat out so
far that it be could questioned as to whether they are quantifiable intelligences; these include spiritual,
existential, naturalistic, moral etc. Gardner has seven criteria for what constitutes an intelligence and so ergo
the above must have fulfilled it. Some of the more interesting criteria include clear developmental and
evolutionary history and the intelligence must be capable of being systemically encoded (Breitborde,165).
Are some of the intelligences really a measure of the capacity for retention or ultimately a matter of
circumstance and environment? Surely more reading of his work is necessary before being excessively
critical as research in this area develops in the near future.
Intelligences continue to grow in this field. Actually I always wrongly or rightly believed in the idea
that retention was a focal measure of higher intelligence (and problem solving in Mathematics) even though it is extremely low on Bloom’s or Marzano’s taxonomy of thinking skills. It’s similar to the ideal that kids all have their own diverse “talents”.
Nel Noddings had an interesting comment to relate about MI in an essay entitled A Morally
Defensible Mission for Schools in the 21st Century:
“ A moral policy, a defensible mission, for education recognises a multiplicity of human capabilities and interests. Instead of preparing everyone for college in the name of democracy and equality, schools should instill in all students a respect for all forms of honest work done well“ (Breitborde, p.428).
Applications
ESL classroom: A clear use of this concept is the realization that kids learn in many different ways and that this should be incorporated into an educator’s lesson plans. Therefore while instructing it is paramount to touch the multiple intelligences of all kids in the classroom in order for them to create their own personalized comprehension of the content. This may be achieved by bringing props into the classroom so that the kids can play with and touch appropriate learning realia or bringing in posters of key concepts displaying pictorally what assists for highlighting purposes. It really should run the gamut of the intelligences spectrum.
Topic App: South American Rainforest. This was located while reading and
captures how an MI lesson can be achieved:
“..they read about it and write essays and stories. Listening to indigenous music and making up their own, tabulating and declining numbers of endangered animals, drawing pictures depicting the biota, “climbing” through layers of the atmosphere, debating economic and ecological points of view, and creating fictional biographies of children living in the region” (p.165).
This entails interconnectedness in thematic teaching because art, music, P.E. and Social Science teachers tailor content to the subject. I think it would correct in saying that there is more flexibility for MI teaching in an L1 classroom than in the ESL/EFL environment. Reference should be made to the “Project Spectrum” which is a ready made environment for escalating MI (Woolfolk,p116).
Music in the classroom: The one area that I’m extremely interested in is the use of Music in the classroom to stimulate a more productive learning environment. The group plotted a graph on the board that links importance level of different segments of learning and how this should relate to the rhythm of the beat.Music is hugely important to kids but even more so in the local culture. It’s an avenue to get the kids on board. References and URLs
http://archive.ifla.org/IV/ifla72/papers/142-Kumbar-en.pdf
http://literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.htm
Breitborde, M. & Swiniarski L.,(2006). Teaching on principle and promise: the foundations of
education. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Woolfolk, A. (1998). Educational psychology seventh edition. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn &
Bacon.
This topic has been researched extensively, and it is a core concept of pedagogy.
Therefore, it deserves a cursory knowledge at least by any educator. Howard Gardner posed the conundrum
why are you smart as opposed to how smart are you which was the traditional analysis. Many others have
been involved beginning with Thurstone and more recently J.P. Guildford. This was a quantum leap and over
the last few decades it has become more encompassing to the numerous forms of intelligence that humans
possess. It’s brilliant because of its necessity. And where people may be intelligent in some ways, they may
be less so in others. Broadening the number from a purely mathematical and linguistic perspective is
useful although maybe some of the newer intelligences that have been generated have moved the boat out so
far that it be could questioned as to whether they are quantifiable intelligences; these include spiritual,
existential, naturalistic, moral etc. Gardner has seven criteria for what constitutes an intelligence and so ergo
the above must have fulfilled it. Some of the more interesting criteria include clear developmental and
evolutionary history and the intelligence must be capable of being systemically encoded (Breitborde,165).
Are some of the intelligences really a measure of the capacity for retention or ultimately a matter of
circumstance and environment? Surely more reading of his work is necessary before being excessively
critical as research in this area develops in the near future.
Intelligences continue to grow in this field. Actually I always wrongly or rightly believed in the idea
that retention was a focal measure of higher intelligence (and problem solving in Mathematics) even though it is extremely low on Bloom’s or Marzano’s taxonomy of thinking skills. It’s similar to the ideal that kids all have their own diverse “talents”.
Nel Noddings had an interesting comment to relate about MI in an essay entitled A Morally
Defensible Mission for Schools in the 21st Century:
“ A moral policy, a defensible mission, for education recognises a multiplicity of human capabilities and interests. Instead of preparing everyone for college in the name of democracy and equality, schools should instill in all students a respect for all forms of honest work done well“ (Breitborde, p.428).
Applications
ESL classroom: A clear use of this concept is the realization that kids learn in many different ways and that this should be incorporated into an educator’s lesson plans. Therefore while instructing it is paramount to touch the multiple intelligences of all kids in the classroom in order for them to create their own personalized comprehension of the content. This may be achieved by bringing props into the classroom so that the kids can play with and touch appropriate learning realia or bringing in posters of key concepts displaying pictorally what assists for highlighting purposes. It really should run the gamut of the intelligences spectrum.
Topic App: South American Rainforest. This was located while reading and
captures how an MI lesson can be achieved:
“..they read about it and write essays and stories. Listening to indigenous music and making up their own, tabulating and declining numbers of endangered animals, drawing pictures depicting the biota, “climbing” through layers of the atmosphere, debating economic and ecological points of view, and creating fictional biographies of children living in the region” (p.165).
This entails interconnectedness in thematic teaching because art, music, P.E. and Social Science teachers tailor content to the subject. I think it would correct in saying that there is more flexibility for MI teaching in an L1 classroom than in the ESL/EFL environment. Reference should be made to the “Project Spectrum” which is a ready made environment for escalating MI (Woolfolk,p116).
Music in the classroom: The one area that I’m extremely interested in is the use of Music in the classroom to stimulate a more productive learning environment. The group plotted a graph on the board that links importance level of different segments of learning and how this should relate to the rhythm of the beat.Music is hugely important to kids but even more so in the local culture. It’s an avenue to get the kids on board. References and URLs
http://archive.ifla.org/IV/ifla72/papers/142-Kumbar-en.pdf
http://literacyworks.org/mi/assessment/findyourstrengths.htm
Breitborde, M. & Swiniarski L.,(2006). Teaching on principle and promise: the foundations of
education. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Woolfolk, A. (1998). Educational psychology seventh edition. Needham Heights, MA: Allyn &
Bacon.
Newscard #10
World Heritage Sites
Virtual visits are possible...
http://www.unescobkk.org/education/ict/online-resources/databases/ict-in-education-database/article/article/google-and-unesco-announce-alliance-to-provide-virtual-reality-simulations-of-world-heritage-sites/
Virtual visits are possible...
http://www.unescobkk.org/education/ict/online-resources/databases/ict-in-education-database/article/article/google-and-unesco-announce-alliance-to-provide-virtual-reality-simulations-of-world-heritage-sites/
Newscard #9
http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2009/05/18/news0603.htm
Use of ICT for climate change mitigation
This article details low lying areas such as the Bangladesh delta and the Netherlands but it could also be applied to many parts of Thailand. ICT can be utilized to reduce emissions although this depends on which side of the argument you stand. Merely food for thought!
Use of ICT for climate change mitigation
This article details low lying areas such as the Bangladesh delta and the Netherlands but it could also be applied to many parts of Thailand. ICT can be utilized to reduce emissions although this depends on which side of the argument you stand. Merely food for thought!
Taringa!
1.www.taringa.net
2. It is a Web 2.0 site which acts as a social network for the Argentinian community where they can post different topics.
3. 3,431,464
4.Fernando Sanz
5. It has been in the national media for different reasons such as when a father met his son through the service or leading model who posted some content which achieved a high hit count. 6.#127 Ranked No. 6 in Argentina. No. 9th in Uruguay, No. 9th in Bolivia.
Travbuddy.com
1.www.travbuddy.com
2.travel site for people who want to explore the world around them.
3. 1,564,162
4. Eric Bjorndahl/David Bjorndahl
5. Thousands of people have met and travelled in real life as a result of using travbuddy.com. It's been given media attention through the NBC Nightly News.
6.#12,130 Ranked 1014th in Slovenia; 1,032 in Phillipines; 1,488 in Cambodia
Travellerspoint
1. www.travellerspoint.com
2. A social network for people who want to share travel experiences.
3. over 150,000 worldwide
4.Samuel and Peter Daams
5. It was named the "Best On-line Travel Agency" by travelmode. Also available in Chinese and Norwegian.
6. #13,923 Ranked 379 in Kenya; 820 in Norway; 973 in Armenia
Tribe.net
1. www.tribe.net
2. online community of friends with similar interests; it's expanded from its base and is used throughout the U.S.A. today.
3. As of Sept. 2006, there were 500,000
4.Paul Martino
5. It originally was open to explicit material on the site but with new management, it has changed this policy to a more sensitive layout.
6. #5,660
Ranked 2,330 in the U.S.; 3,066 in the Phillipines; 3,576 in the U.K.
1.www.taringa.net
2. It is a Web 2.0 site which acts as a social network for the Argentinian community where they can post different topics.
3. 3,431,464
4.Fernando Sanz
5. It has been in the national media for different reasons such as when a father met his son through the service or leading model who posted some content which achieved a high hit count. 6.#127 Ranked No. 6 in Argentina. No. 9th in Uruguay, No. 9th in Bolivia.
Travbuddy.com
1.www.travbuddy.com
2.travel site for people who want to explore the world around them.
3. 1,564,162
4. Eric Bjorndahl/David Bjorndahl
5. Thousands of people have met and travelled in real life as a result of using travbuddy.com. It's been given media attention through the NBC Nightly News.
6.#12,130 Ranked 1014th in Slovenia; 1,032 in Phillipines; 1,488 in Cambodia
Travellerspoint
1. www.travellerspoint.com
2. A social network for people who want to share travel experiences.
3. over 150,000 worldwide
4.Samuel and Peter Daams
5. It was named the "Best On-line Travel Agency" by travelmode. Also available in Chinese and Norwegian.
6. #13,923 Ranked 379 in Kenya; 820 in Norway; 973 in Armenia
Tribe.net
1. www.tribe.net
2. online community of friends with similar interests; it's expanded from its base and is used throughout the U.S.A. today.
3. As of Sept. 2006, there were 500,000
4.Paul Martino
5. It originally was open to explicit material on the site but with new management, it has changed this policy to a more sensitive layout.
6. #5,660
Ranked 2,330 in the U.S.; 3,066 in the Phillipines; 3,576 in the U.K.
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