Connected Learning

What Is Connected Learning?

By Katie Lepi on

There are a ton of resources floating around out there about connected learning. Connected learning brings together all of the various experiences, interests, technology, academics, people and communities that learners are a part of in order to make all of these scenarios and experiences learning opportunities. Many teachers naturally do this to some degree in their classroom already, without perhaps the official ‘name’ attached.

The handy infographic below, from Mia MacMeekin, takes a deeper look into connected learning, and highlights what is so great about it! Look with a critical eye – do you already try to incorporate all or some of the elements? Do you value the same ideas in your teaching?

What Is Connected Learning?

Connected learning leverages a number of different things in order to create a larger reaching spread of learning opportunities.

• Experiences
• Interests
• Technology
• People
• Communities
• Academics

What Does Connected Learning Value?

• Equity – Educational opportunity should be available to all, and when it is, it contributes positively to the greater good
• Social Connection – Learning is most meaningful when it is a part of meaningful social connections (aka, real life experiences)
• Full Participation – Learning environments thrive when all members are participating

Post Source: http://www.edudemic.com/connected-learning-infographic-mmm/

www.mschools.co.in

sharad@mschools.co.in

  SKYPE: linkites, saket.dandotia, sharad.gour, sonal.khandelwal8

                              

How To Create Dynamic Learning Environments Using Gamification

By Jason Anderson

 

Gamification can enhance learning in college-level coursework. Using characteristic elements that play a significant role in gameplay can create a more dynamic learning environment where students more fully understand targeted concepts. To examine this, I have been researchingTwitter as a vehicle that would resonate with the course objectives in a course that I teach on Open Source Intelligence, particularly for a module regarding social media intelligence.

Gamified Classrooms

In From Game Design Elements to Gamefulness: Defining ‘Gamification’ Sebastian Deterding defines gamification as the use of game design elements in non-game contexts. To understand gamification in academic terms, the task is to determine how to situate gamified applications in relation to existing course context and what elements belong.

From the perspective of the educator/designer the distinction between gamification in teaching and regular entertainment games is that course content is built using elements from games and does not create a full gaming experience. By interacting with these elements, students learn because of the intrinsic participation factor and information reward.

But does gamification reduce internal motivation that the user has for the activity, as it replaces it with external motivation? Scott Nicholson, in a 2012 paper presented at Games+Learning+Society 8.0, sees it more in the context of the game design elements being made meaningful to the user through information. Internal motivation can then be improved as there is less need to emphasize external rewards or, in other words, grades.

In my training and practice as a librarian, I’ve come to view the value of information gap fillers. When the bridge is made from the point of a knowledge breakdown, conflict, or gap, then information itself becomes the reward. I’ve found with my students, filling in gaps means that they are meeting tasked objectives.

A key concept in information science research is the idea of relevance as it relates to information retrieval. Nicholson continues, “the concept of situational relevance is important when thinking about gamification. Without involving the user, there is no way to know what goals are relevant to a user’s background, interest, or needs. In a points-based gamification system, the goal of scoring points is less likely to be relevant to a user if the activity that the points measure is not relevant to that user.”

Challenges

A significant challenge in creating this type of a broad system is developing a strategy to encompass a wide variety of user skillsets. The structure of the game guided by course objectives could be as simple as identifying a bibliographic source that has been verified and corroborated against other information, or identifying trends associated with various hashtags. Ultimately, the student is allowed to add a verified source to the class Twitter feed as it organically evolves through future iterations.

When applying the concepts behind student-generated content to meaningful gamification, the underlying idea is that the instructors develop a system where users track different aspects of the non-game activity, create their own leveling systems, develop their own game-based methods of engaging with the activity, and share that content with other users. This is inherently built into the various hashtags generated by Twitter.

Systems where users can transform tasks by adding elements of play and then share their new methods allows creative users to think about how to make a task fun without an external reward. Users working toward the same set of goals can then form communities around those goals. These communities of learners can share experiences and increase their learning around the non-game activity, which is a method more likely to create a truly internalized self-organized learning environment.

About the Author

Jason Anderson Faculty Member, Intelligence Studies at American Public University

Jason’s research interests include information sharing regarding transnational criminal organizations. He completed a Master of Library and Information Science degree from the University of Washington and works as a librarian in the Puget Sound region of Washington State. Additionally, Jason has undergraduate degrees from Brigham Young University in Spanish Literature and Political Science.

Post Source: http://www.edudemic.com/dynamic-learning-environments-using-gamification/

www.mschools.co.in

sharad@mschools.co.in

  SKYPE: linkites, saket.dandotia, sharad.gour, sonal.khandelwal8

                              

How To Teach?

By Katie Lepi 

Educators today often use a variety of pedagogical styles. Some are old, some are new(er), and some folks are out there innovating and trying new stuff of their own creation. While most teachers out there are probably piecing together a little bit of something with a touch of something else – different strokes for different folks, right? – There are some folks out there that we have to thank for some of the more common concrete pedagogical styles.

So who are these folks? Many of us are familiar with the pedagogical concepts, but the people behind them are often less well-known. Take a look at the handy infographic below – it highlights six individuals that have made major contributions to what we modern folks know as pedagogy. Keep reading to learn more.

The People of Pedagogy

You’ve probably heard of their work, but you may not know about the person behind the pedagogy. Here’s a quick bit of information on six contributors to pedagogy.

Lev Vygotsky

The Zone of Proximal Development distinguishes what a learner can do with and without help, eventually leading to the notion of scaffolding.

Jean Piaget

The Theory Of Cognitive Development articulates the mind’s typical stages of growth. It helps to understand student’s perspectives and understand what is needed to advance their learning.

Jerome Bruner

Bruner coined the term ‘scaffolding‘ as he conducted cognitive and developmental studies in psychology. Understanding how the mind works helps guide instructional design.

Benjamin Bloom

Although he didn’t create the now-famous Bloom’s Taxonomy, he did the vital work of studying and classifying stages in pursuit of mastery learning.

Howard Gardner

Gardner’s Theory of Multiple Intelligences describes various forms of mental capacity (not to be confused with the ever-polarizing topic of learning styles!). Its a framework that describes patterns of how information is processed (not how it is initially acquired).

Erik Erikson

Erikson’s Theory of Psychosocial Development serves as a roadmap of the eight stages a typical person follows as they develop. These stages give insight into student’s driving impulses at each stage of their education.

Source: http://www.edudemic.com/how-to-teach/

www.mschools.co.in

sharad@mschools.co.in

  SKYPE: linkites, saket.dandotia, sharad.gour, sonal.khandelwal8

                              

4 Ways Teachers Can Encourage Online Interaction

By Laura Iancu

The education sector is rapidly changing and adapting to new technologies. Modern days have made educators go above and beyond with their teaching skills and learn to use new tools to innovate their style and create a better learning environment for students.                          

            

Starting with correspondence courses and ending up with the apparition of MOOCs, education tried to bring closer students from all around the world. This has rapidly grown the number of enrolled students but the completion rate was really low.

The reasons for this statistics are various, but one thing we know for sure is that students need a sense of belonging even in online learning. It is in our human nature to seek communication and want interaction. And this is a part that many new online educational application lack sometimes.

If you are a teacher wanting to increase the interaction with students while helping them to learn online you have to identify the right way to communicate with students. You may want to achieve this no matter if we are talking about actual MOOCs or a custom way you choose to disseminate materials in a digital format. So here are some helpful tools which you can implement to encourage interaction and enhance your teaching skills:

Online Quizzes

These can be a good way to help your students learn easier. If you use them as pop-up quizzes at the end of a presentation, chances that students remember what the course was about raise considerably. You can find a tool to create complex online quizzes that will answer all your needs and results will probably improve immediately. Working with custom made quizzes is easier that to search for ready-made ones. Online quizzes are a great way to keep your students focused, to evaluate them and offer them the chance to test their assimilation capacity.

Feedback Forms

Feedback forms can be a great chance to find if your tactics actually work. Feedback is a great way to find what students actually think of your course. The odds that they will fill such a form are higher if you allow respondents to remain anonymous either if you have personally met them or not. You can focus on data and put your efforts in finding what is relevant for improvement of your online course.

Surveys

Surveys have a lot of applications in the classroom. Use them to discover the general opinion of your class, to learn about new trends and better adapt your teaching style or prepare new courses. Online surveys will generate statistical data that can help you reach further and understand the needs and requirements of present and future students. These are perfect for research, especially if you desire to create a new course and test the water to see if there is a demand from students.

Polls and Ratings

Conduct regular voting and let students participate in decision making. For example, let them choose the projects they are about to do or the topic you will discuss on a special lecture. There are many variations, the important thing is to enable them to feel they are actually part of the course you are teaching and that their opinion actually matters. If you don’t have the luxury of adjusting the course as you go, you can add ratings to your course with grades or rating stars to learn an immediate reaction of your students.

Besides all these, you definitely need to show your students that they can reach you. Offering a valid communication channel will allow you to give a complete learning experience for your students. You can guide them towards a forum on the MOOC you use, a social group, an email list or other medium. The important part for your students is to know they can ask questions and someone will give them an answer.

Online learning is tricky but the benefits are tremendous so learn to leverage them. Because, “online learning can open doors that would otherwise remain closed.” (Daphne Koller, one of the Coursera founders)

Post Source: http://www.edudemic.com/4-ways-teachers-can-encourage-online-interaction/

www.mschools.co.in

sharad@mschools.co.in

  SKYPE: linkites, saket.dandotia, sharad.gour, sonal.khandelwal8

                              

The Visual History Of Classroom Technology

By Jeff Dunn

It’s been quite awhile since the early days of classroom technology. However, it’s still something worth knowing about as we all race into the future of edtech. Whether it’s a Massive Open Online Course (MOOCs) or simply trying out a new app on your tablet, there’s a lot to know about how we all got here.

As you can see in the below visual guide to the history of classroom technology, the ballpoint pen and overhead projector didn’t really happen too long ago. In fact, this whole timeline seems shockingly recent! I’d also recommend you check out a previous Edudemic article we did that takes an even deeper dive into the history of edtech.

What tools are missing? There are certainly some. Share your thoughts with us on Twitter bymentioning @edudemic!

Post Source: http://www.edudemic.com/visual-history-classroom-technology/

www.mschools.co.in

sharad@mschools.co.in

  SKYPE: linkites, saket.dandotia, sharad.gour, sonal.khandelwal8

                              

Check Out These 10 Supercomputers

Technology is pretty much exploding these days. As a pretty average person who has a job and a life, it can be hard to keep up with all the cool stuff happening out there. Computers are getting faster and faster – that we all know. Our desktops and laptops do so much more today than they did just a couple of years ago.

The handy infographic below takes a look at the top 10 fastest supercomputers in the world. The amount of data that these computers can handle is absolutely mind boggling. So whether you’re speeding through your computer based work on a shiny new, super speedy machine or cursing a slow-as-molasses laptop that takes ten minutes to do anything, check out these awesome machines that will definitely put your computer to shame!

10 Awesome Supercomputers

Tianhe-1A

• Speed: 2.566 petaflop/s
• Created: 2010

SuperMUC

• Speed: 2.897 petaflop/s
• Created: 2012

Vulcan

• Speed: 4.293 petaflop/s
• Created: 2013

Juqueen

• Speed: 5.008 petaflop/s
• Created: 2012

Stampede

• Speed: 5.168 petaflop/s
• Created: 2013

Mira

• Speed: 8.586 petaflop/s
• Created: 2013

K Computer

• Speed: 5.168 petaflop/s
• Created: 2013

IBM Sequoia

• Speed: 17.173 petaflop/s
• Created: 2013

Titan

• Speed: 17.59 petaflop/s
• Created: 2012

Tianhe 2

• Speed: 33.86 petaflop/s
• Created: 2013

post Source: http://www.edudemic.com/supercomputers/

www.mschools.co.in

sharad@mschools.co.in

  SKYPE: linkites, saket.dandotia, sharad.gour, sonal.khandelwal8

                              

How Can Busy Teachers Learn Next-Gen Skills?

By Amy Burkman on February 7, 2014

Most of today’s classroom teachers are digital immigrants, who need to not only learn the latest technologies but also help students learn skills for workplaces that don’t yet exist. This imperative, compounded by the advanced skills of their digital native students, creates a daunting task for the best of teachers.

Most teachers work very hard to keep up with today’s technology and related jargon, with mixed success. For example, a teacher at my son’s school walked around telling the students she had been twerking all day because she thought the term meant texting and working! It made perfect sense to her and brought great amusement to all of her students. However, it is a perfect example of the challenges that teachers face when trying to keep up.

Learning Next-Gen Skills

So, how do teachers help students develop modern learning skills? Start with the basics. Technology is not a replacement for learning core information. Reading, writing, and arithmetic are still essential; technology should be used as a tool for teaching these areas. Critical thinking, communication, and creativity stem from learning in these areas and should not be neglected.

Special focus should be put on information literacy, media skills, and technology skills. Students need to be taught to analyze information sources, determine authenticity, and synthesize information presented, all of which require the ability to read and write critically. They also need to be able to navigate information and present information through a variety of media and technology tools and formats.

Teachers teach skills that don’t yet exist through the development of critical and analytical thinking skills. Students must be able to problem- solve in order to access information and think through applications of that information that they have never encountered.

If anything, technology has created a greater need for understanding basic information in order to adapt to unforeseeable situations. What an exciting time to teach!

There are a variety of resources available that provide information specifically to help develop the modern learner. Here are a few:

• The Partnership for 21st Century Skills
• The Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills
• Institute of Museums and Library Service
• NEA Partnership for 21st Century Skills

By accessing this information, and making a concerted effort, teachers and other school leaders can provide an environment where learners thrive and succeed, today and throughout their lifetime.

About the Author

Dr. Amy Burkman – Senior Manager of Assessment & Accreditation, School of Education, American Public University System

Dr. Burkman has over 15 years of experience as a K-12 educator, as a teacher, librarian and administrator. Dr. Burkman has also served as a professor of educational leadership, first in a part-time capacity and then full time, for the past seven years. In addition to working as an educator, she has also been a provider of professional development for the Texas Education Service Center for Region 11 and several school districts in Texas. Dr. Burkman received a Master’s Degree in Library Sciences from Texas Woman’s University, where she was also inducted in Beta Phi Mu, the International Library & Information Studies Honor Society and she was awarded her doctorate from Texas Christian University.

Post Source: http://www.edudemic.com/next-gen-skills/

www.mschools.co.in

sharad@mschools.co.in

  SKYPE: linkites, saket.dandotia, sharad.gour, sonal.khandelwal8