Why (And How) You Should Create A Personal Learning Network What Is A PLN? Through the use of my own Personal Learning Network (PLN) , I came across several great examples that both define what a PLN is, and explain the value of creating one for yourself. According to a wikispace about creating PLNs, “Personal Learning Networks are systems that help learners take control of and manage their own learning. 1) set their own learning goals 2) manage their learning; managing both content and process 3) communicate with others in the process of learning and thereby achieve learning goals Simply put: A PLN is a system for lifelong learning. ” Why Start Your PLN Now? Teachers in our district, especially freshmen teachers, have a ton on their plates this year. Here are some ways that educators are using their PLNs: 10 Easy Ways to Kick Start Your Personal Learning Network Thanks to a fellow blogger/teacher named Kate Klingensmith, here’s a directory of some resources you can use to start developing your own community of connections and resources: Resources
Triptico | Inspiration for Imaginative Teachers | Interactive Resources for Imaginative Teachers Intelligence, Imagination and Creativity Another post based on notes and thoughts from The Element by Sir Ken Robinson. Most people believe that intelligence and creativity are different things, however you can't be creative without acting intelligently - the highest form of intelligence is thinking creatively. Most people have a narrow view of intelligence, tending to think of it mainly in terms of academic ability. Creativity: Creativity is very much like literacy - if a person can't read or write you don't assume they are incapable of it, just that he or she hasn't learned how to do it. Imagination underpins every uniquely human achievement. Imagination is not the same as creativity. Creativity is a process - generating new ideas, imagining different possibilities, considering alternative options, developing those ideas by judging which works best (evaluating) and refining them. With group work success is not because they all think the same way, but because they are all so different.
0. Induction: activities | OCTEL This first week is an opportunity to get to grips with how the ocTEL course works and gives everyone the chance to think about some big questions in technology, learning and teaching. We will be touching on several of the issues that will come up in more detail later in the course, but dealing with them in the concrete, practical terms of what you need and prefer as participants, andhow this kind of Technology Enhanced Learning is suited to meeting those needs. This course lets you define your own aims and follow your own paths, but we set out core learning outcomes for every week. By the end of this week, you should aim to One aspect of participating in ocTEL is working out how the course can best work for you and how much time you have to participate. You might want to include There will be a weekly webinar at lunchtime on Wednesdays, starting on 10 April. Activity 0.1: My big question (45 mins) Activity 0.2: Initial comments and discussion (30 mins) Activity 0.3: Exploring and experimenting
QR Code Generator - create QR Codes online [business card, t-shirt, mug, 2D barcode, generate QR-Code] - goQR.me - Are We Digital Hoarders? I just finished reading the book Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Prof. Gail Steketee Ph.D. Prof. Randy Frost Ph.D. So of course, while reading, I thought of my own piles of clutter. However, towards the end of the book, I looked into an area of my life that I hadn't examined in this way, due to its almost invisible nature: I started adding up all of the digital content that I have stored over the past years. One recurring theme in the book is that many of the clients represented collect newspapers or magazines. Whoa... Let's take a look a just a few things: Now, I am cognizant of the differences between these digital "items" and physical objects. Many of the files are necessary to get my work done and many are truly cherished (such as photos and music). Or will they? Think of the apps that I've downloaded for my iPhone or iPad: many of them were free. Sounds like hoarding doesn't it? But is it all bad? What are your thoughts on this?
7 Things You Should Know About MOOCs A massively open online course (MOOC) is a model for delivering learning content online to virtually any person—and as many of them—who wants to take the course. Course activities can be scheduled or asynchronous, and a fluid structure is valuable because students can choose their level of participation and many will do so in an à la carte manner. A MOOC throws open the doors of a course and invites anyone to enter, resulting in a new learning dynamic. Although this dynamic will make some students uneasy and will force instructors to rethink at least some of the elements of their courses, the MOOC can potentially alter the relationship between learner and instructor and between academe and the wider community. As MOOCs evolve, expectations and methods of presentation will likely crystallize, becoming more consistent and more predictable.
Screenbird Open Education 2011 Conference 2011 Theme: Be “Open” Minded October 25-27, 2011 :: Park City, Utah Thank you to everyone who made the 8th annual Open Education Conference a huge success! We look forward to seeing you October 16-18, 2012 in Vancouver, BC! The field of open education includes a wide diversity of participants. The Open Education 2011 conference brings together this broad diversity of people to discuss the state of the art in open education and facilitate creative conversations across a wide variety of perspectives. The Open Education Conference has been described as “the annual reunion of the open education family.” October 25-27, 2011, the eighth annual conference comes home to Utah! NETVIBES MaKey MaKey: An Invention Kit for Everyone (Official Site)
A Final Warning from Canada's Watchdog on Schools Defunded and soon to close, the Canadian Council on Learning sees nation falling behind on many fronts. How best to build strong Canadian minds? The CCL's last report is controversial. Academically speaking, Canada is on a road to nowhere. We have no national education plan, and thus no goals or benchmarks for education and no way to determine the future of our labour force. The Canadian Council on Learning (CCL) argues this lack of direction is increasing illiteracy, while decreasing innovation and weakening our economy. Their solution? A national council of provincial, territorial and federal learning ministers who will set goals, advised by an independent monitoring body of education and social organizations that will report to both government and the public. But with the CCL set to close up shop next spring, will the Canadian government even care what the education watchdog has to say anymore? Slipping down the learning curve: Cappon Government needs our help