Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Web 2.0 Expo
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Monday, April 7, 2008
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Eugene Lee Lecture
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Sunday, March 9, 2008
Connect the Dots Article
Computer literacy replaces traditional book literacy. Our society has always looked to improve the way we communicate so that its faster and more vivid. In the process, people are learning a new way to communicate subconsciously especially our children, but at the same time some people are being left behind particularly the older generations.
Literacy depends on making connections and associations from one skill to the next. Making those connections is where the learning is. We must be creative and resourceful in order to discover these connections. And over time we must learn to shorten these connections as our children are doing in order to stay ahead of the game.
Using a mind map Digital Literacy can be subcategorized into other types of literacy for example, to creation literacy, amendment literacy, and reproduction literacy.
Practice makes perfect. If we spend a lot of time on the computer we’re bound to get good at it. So a simple solution to the problem of literacy is to help people practice. Its just like driving. The first time we are usually scared but then as we start to drive more and more everything will become second nature. It’s the same as digital literacy the more we depend on it the better we will adapt to it.
Monday, March 3, 2008
Digital Age Article
Mind Mapping: the cognitive process and the step by step strategy for effective learning.
The new Illiterate (no ability to learn, unlearn, and relearn)
A plan to engage students through the use of personal or current events
Closing the gap between how they live and how they learn in school
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Macworld 2008
you can modify content and all that. Amazon started off with a library data base I guess which is why they specialize in book sales. A Mashup or Collabo takes bits and pieces of wikis to form a new one, like Google earth (mapquest + google) and Housingmaps (googlemaps and craigslist). Viddler is good for tagging video content , so you dont have to run through the whole thing to find what your looking for And...
Learners today think mosaically and don't like to read. I could of told you that 25 years ago. Video games are played by females as much as males and the other stuff was just blah blah blah
Saturday, February 16, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
About the J.S. Brown Article
Universities are legit because they bring communities to the individual to further expand on the basics and formal education. This process also exposes individuals to other personal experiences other than their own.
Technology is like oxygen. Kids need it to operate their daily lives. A revival in learning has taken place with the use of moving and still pictures, Internet Navigation, and sound editting. Their are used to express individuality and give the learner a sense of creative control. The research capabilities of our youth are at an all time high. "Infotainment" has replaced the red encyclopedias we kept in our living rooms. This new generation values Uniqueness and Authenticity that they find through mastering certain websites and software. Learning for the future should contain large amounts of hands on projects that engage the learners.
A challenge that faces educators is turning theory into practice. Technical advances offers more of a chance to do so. Connectivism is a prime example. My nephews learn through net working and making negotiations, trades, conflicts, forming communities, etc... all through online interactive gaming. It works for them they learn quickly this way. So if Connectivism can work for gaming, then why not education as well.
One thing I don't agree with is the presumption that he made about how the University was eventually going to go totally digital and the traditional ways of the class would go obsolete. This won't happen because people to people interaction is essential. Its the corner stone of a safe and open learning community you can't replace the whole thing with distance learning. That would be too cold of an environment for most people. Making the option available: distance or in-class is the best bet.
Technology is a part of our lives. We need to adapt to the growing technology as educators. The students are becoming more and more tech savy. We need to be able to keep up or stay ahead or else they wont respect us as teachers. Now more than ever different disciplines in the university need to come together to combine old and new ways of teaching. And continuing education is vital especially when there is technology involved.
Learning in the future is one without pride or prejudice. Teachers will learn from students and vice versa. Online environments will provide safe learning environments. And new opportunities will arise through networking.
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Connectivism
Video gaming has been a big influence on my learning process. And most of the platforms and games that I've used are single player. I'm not used to multiplayer online games such as warcraft, runescape, or halo. But my nephews- that's all they play- the games where they're forced to network in order to survive (in the game of course). They are the Connectivist Generation. So where does that leave the old farts like me who refuse to hook the Xbox 360 to the internet for fear of getting owned by his nefews?
let me know.