The Future of Learning
Looking forward in education with regard to social networking sites and social media we need to recognize that while these technologies are constantly changing, they are not changing in ways that imply what Proserpio and Gioia describes as “any sort of reversion to previous learning styles” (2007, p.74). Sarah Kessler emphasizes in 8 Ways Technology is Improving Education, that it is about time we recognize the versatile learning tool we have in front of us that is changing how we teach concepts, the objectives of assigned projects as well as the way in which we assess progress all of which is helping teachers to engage students who learn best in other ways (Kessler1, 2010). In addition, Kristen Luschen and Lesley Bogad in Youth, New Media and Education, recognize that “interaction with popular culture and new digital technologies provides opportunities and venues for the development of identity, community and learning that becomes integrated into students’ and teachers’ formal and informal knowledges” (2010, p.453). Authors Luigi Proserpio and Dennis Gioia further this notion saying that, “students now expect rich, interactive and even ‘playful’ learning environments”, all of which has implications for teaching and learning. They identify the following features as the most influential in regard to teaching this new learner: 1) active involvement of students in the learning process, 2) facilitative social settings, and 3) problem-solving focus (Proserpio & Gioia, 2007, p.74), aspects that are already demonstrated through teaching with social networking sites and social media. Proserpio and Gioia go on to stress that the focus “is not so much on technology per se, bu ton the way in which technology is accepted and used in the relationship between students and instructor or among students” (2007, p.75).
Looking forward in education with regard to social networking sites and social media we need to recognize that while these technologies are constantly changing, they are not changing in ways that imply what Proserpio and Gioia describes as “any sort of reversion to previous learning styles” (2007, p.74). Sarah Kessler emphasizes in 8 Ways Technology is Improving Education, that it is about time we recognize the versatile learning tool we have in front of us that is changing how we teach concepts, the objectives of assigned projects as well as the way in which we assess progress all of which is helping teachers to engage students who learn best in other ways (Kessler1, 2010). In addition, Kristen Luschen and Lesley Bogad in Youth, New Media and Education, recognize that “interaction with popular culture and new digital technologies provides opportunities and venues for the development of identity, community and learning that becomes integrated into students’ and teachers’ formal and informal knowledges” (2010, p.453). Authors Luigi Proserpio and Dennis Gioia further this notion saying that, “students now expect rich, interactive and even ‘playful’ learning environments”, all of which has implications for teaching and learning. They identify the following features as the most influential in regard to teaching this new learner: 1) active involvement of students in the learning process, 2) facilitative social settings, and 3) problem-solving focus (Proserpio & Gioia, 2007, p.74), aspects that are already demonstrated through teaching with social networking sites and social media. Proserpio and Gioia go on to stress that the focus “is not so much on technology per se, bu ton the way in which technology is accepted and used in the relationship between students and instructor or among students” (2007, p.75).
How, What and Where we Learn:
In Youth, New Media and Education, authors Kristen Luschen and Lesley Bogad focus on the notion that, “today, we draw upon a mediated existence in ways that we never could have imagined as social networking sites, digital technologies, and other new media weave the fabric of our everyday lives whether we resist or embrace their influence (2010, p.450). We all must recognize that these influences change and shape how we learn, what we learn and where we learn it. Marilyn Dyrud, in the article Posting, Tweeting, and Rejuvenating the Classroom, shows that social media have sparked a new way of thinking about how we learn, particularly in regard to communication, collaboration and group effort (2012, p.61). She also notes that because information is constantly changing the way we learn and our ability to adapt to these new conditions is critical as is our need to develop the skills to distinguish between information that is significant and that which is trivial (Dyrud, 2012, p.61). Lastly, she emphasizes that “social network technologies not only frame the way individuals interact and learn, but actually impact the learning process itself” furthermore she emphasizes that these changes require “new pedagogies to effectively integrate these communication mechanisms into the learning environment” (Dyrud, 2012, p.61).
In Youth, New Media and Education, authors Kristen Luschen and Lesley Bogad focus on the notion that, “today, we draw upon a mediated existence in ways that we never could have imagined as social networking sites, digital technologies, and other new media weave the fabric of our everyday lives whether we resist or embrace their influence (2010, p.450). We all must recognize that these influences change and shape how we learn, what we learn and where we learn it. Marilyn Dyrud, in the article Posting, Tweeting, and Rejuvenating the Classroom, shows that social media have sparked a new way of thinking about how we learn, particularly in regard to communication, collaboration and group effort (2012, p.61). She also notes that because information is constantly changing the way we learn and our ability to adapt to these new conditions is critical as is our need to develop the skills to distinguish between information that is significant and that which is trivial (Dyrud, 2012, p.61). Lastly, she emphasizes that “social network technologies not only frame the way individuals interact and learn, but actually impact the learning process itself” furthermore she emphasizes that these changes require “new pedagogies to effectively integrate these communication mechanisms into the learning environment” (Dyrud, 2012, p.61).
"In an increasingly complex world, sometimes old questions require new answers."
--Randy Glasbergen
--Randy Glasbergen
The Future of Teaching
No matter how much we recognize what Charles Crook says that, “we are living in a time of participatory tools, participatory attitudes and participatory aspirations”, it seems that educational practice seems slow to integrate these notions into everyday teaching and learning (2012, p.64). Changes in how we learn, what we learn and where we learn all pose challenges in regard to methodology and curriculum changes especially when schools are faced with educational policies and mandates that make the slope toward implementation even more treacherous. However, focusing on the old and ignoring the new means we are leading our new generations of students “to have difficulty integrating and applying knowledge from various domains to practical situations” (Proserpio & Gioia, 2007, p.73). Instead we could capitalize on the new preferred learning styles of students to enhance their learning, not only changing the delivery but also the content itself and perhaps even the educational policies and mandates in the process. Methodology:
If we are to capitalize on the preferred learning styles of students, we must first as Crook notes, “be conscious of the differences students bring to school in terms of their readiness to take advantage of innovative practices and resources” (2012, p.77). Proserpio and Gioia note that students are telling us that they find it more difficult to develop critical-thinking and problem-solving skills when instructors use methodology that emphasizes the transmission of fixed bodies of information (2007, p.73). However, that does not imply that we should provide access to social networking sites and social media and leaves students on their own. Researchers agree that “depth of understanding within a discipline requires efforts of synthesis, integration and progressive knowledge construction” (Crook, 2012, p.70) but students need support in achieving this. Proserpio and Gioa would argue that “our role as instructors should become one of identifying useful webs of relations and providing the basic rationales for understanding the importance of those relations (2007, p.74). They are emphasizing an important change in the role of the educator here focusing less on a person transmitting fixed knowledge to a progressive view, one in which the teacher serves as a guide in discovering ways to search for and recombine information and knowledge as students learn to use social networking sites and social media for educational purposes (Proserpio & Gioia, 2007, p.74). Curriculum:
What students learn is as important as how they learn. While there are many who argue against integrating social networking sites and social media into the curriculum, as Greg Toppo warns, “if you keep it out, kids are creating their own cultures in this space with no guidance from adults” (2011) and that is irresponsible behavior on behalf of educators and administrators. In the article, Social Networking Goes to School, Michelle Davis also cautions that, “If schools don’t take the golden opportunity to teach students about the responsibility of using these things, they lose a teachable moment”, she further warns, “If schools block them, they’re preventing students from learning the skills they need to know” (2010). Skills like learning to navigate through information to get to what is applicable to school (Toppo, 2011). Although school districts have valid fears regarding how to proceed with the implementation of social networking sites and social media into the curriculum, this should not prevent educators from proving their many valuable uses. There is no argument against the notion that learning online carries risks, but the risks need not be overstated. Toppo stresses that “when we go on a field trip, when we go anywhere, we warn (students) of the dangers of where we’re going” (2011) and that venturing into use of social networking site and social media tools should be preceded by the same warning. While the debate about the educational benefits of social networking and social media in schools, there is no doubt that like Kessler says, “schools are missing out on an opportunity to incorporate learning tools that students already know how to use” (2, 2010). Instructors can and should use social networking and social media as tools to promote learning and collaboration for as Birch stresses, “social media will be used by students no matter why type of policy schools try to institute. It makes more sense to have a policy that focuses on the appropriateness of the use as opposed to one banning its use altogether” (2012). |
The 23 Things
Following are the 23 Things to complete in the order listed. Click the red links to go to each Thing. You may complete the Things at your own pace, but we suggest trying to finish one topic area per week. Have fun! What is Web 2.0? 1. Learn about Web 2.0 and why it's important to 21st Century teaching and learning. Blogging 2. Learn about blogs and create your own 3. Explore how educators are using blogs to support teaching and learning RSS 4. Learn about RSS and how to subscribe to blogs 5. Manage RSS feeds in Google Reader Photos and Images 6. Learn about online photo sharing and explore Flickr 7. Share photos of your own on Flickr 8. Have some fun with mash-ups and online image generators Online Video 9. Explore online video sharing sites 10. Embed and download video from video sharing sites Building Community 11. Connect to your learning community 12. Add a widget to your blog Social Bookmarking 13. Learn about tagging and social bookmarking 14. Set up your account and experience Delicious 15. Revisit RSS and subscribe to new feeds Online Productivity 16. Explore online collaboration with Google Docs 17. Try out a few other online productivity tools 18. Discover Slideshare for online presentations Podcasting 19. Learn about podcasting 20. Locate and subscribe to podcasts Wikis 21. Learn about Wikis and discover ways they're being used 22. Create a wiki Wrap Up 23. Reflect on your journey |
RESOURCES TO GIVE IT A TRY:
1. Blogging 2. Collaborative Calendaring
3. Podcasting
4. RSS Readers
5. Collaborative Mindmapping
6. Micro-blogging/Micro-sharing
7. Photo sharing
8. Screencast sharing
9. Presentation sharing
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10. Video sharing
11. Social bookmarking
12. Collaborative editing
13. Collaborative working
14. Collaborative presentations
15. Social networking
16. Personalized start pages
17. Integrated social/collaboration environment
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additional resources
Click on the 100,000-student classroom for the TED Talk given by Peter Norvig in which he discusses an Artificial Intelligence class given through Stanford that reached more than just Stanford students. The idea was to emulate an online class that was like one-on-one tutoring even though it was really one-to-thousands. He shares what he learned about teaching through the process.
Click on How Games Make Kids Smarter to watch Gabe Zichermann give a TED Talk about changing education through the use of ‘gamified learning’. He questions whether it is our world that is too slow for children to appreciate and not the reverse and he therefore advocates for a different world. He advocates for a world in which things move at a faster pace, where there are rewards everywhere for actions people take, a world in which there is extensive collaborative play and group value and ultimately a more global world.
For a complete list of sources used, please click the Resources button on the Secondary Education Introduction page.