I can learn - NOW!

Today while adding feeds to my Ning site, I came across an incredibly interesting post and instantly knew that this was the one that I not only wanted to comment on but also share with everyone else. The post is entitled I can learn - NOW! and was found on the website On an e-journey with generation Y. The post was added on September 3, 2009, the day after a major earthquake had torn Western Java apart. The teacher who updates this blog immediately began to panic because Endang, a teacher that technology has allowed her to connect with, and her students come from Pekalongan in the northern coast of Western Java. The teacher worried all morning about the fate of her friend and her students until she noticed that Endang was on Skype. Not only was she able to find out that no one was hurt, but her class was able to speak with actual earthquake victims before even seeing the story on the news! Talk about the immediacy of learning! I chose to share this post because as a Social Studies teacher, endless possibilities came to mind...rather than hearing or reading about current events, my students can experience them - NOW!

My Delicious Tags!

Be sure to check out my delicious page at http://delicious.com/mbonar!

NextGen Teachers

Today while exploring ning.com, I decided to join NextGen Teachers at http://nextgen.ning.com/. The reason I decided to join NextGen Teachers is that the group focuses on improving teaching and learning with new technologies, which is something we are all currently doing by taking this course. There are over 508 members who are dedicated to keeping up to date with latest technology and making it avaible to their students. Besides countless resources and videos, there are also several discussion forums where members can colllaborate with other educators, share ideas, discuss new techologies, or just ask for help or suggestions. Below is a neat video that I found on NextGen that coincides with George Siemens's Connectivism theory, where actual students talk about how they don't care about what they learn, but rather how they learn.

Ning, itself, is a great resource for educators because it allows us to join such groups that can really benefit us professionally. The opportunity to collaborate with other educators not only makes us more effective but makes our job both easier and more fun.

The Learner of Today...

The learner of today is like a person who doesn’t know where he or she is going. This doesn’t sound like a very positive portrayal, but please allow me to explain. As George Siemens states, “know-how and know-what is being supplemented with know-where” (the understanding of where to find knowledge needed” (Siemens, 2005). Some people are blessed with an innate sense of direction, while others (including myself) certainly are not. But thanks to technology, we have many different options that we can turn to in order to find our way. In accordance with Siemens’s theory of Connectivism, we can simply ask someone else for directions, find directions and maps online, or now with the help of GPS technology, our every move can be dictated right to us. External sources allow us to reach our desired destination, even though we might not exactly now where we’re going when we start our journey. The same is true for learning. Knowledge is evolving exponentially and it is no longer about what we know, but rather how to stay current and knowing where we can turn to find the knowledge we need (Siemens, 2007). So, it doesn’t matter if you were able to get somewhere on your own, asked a friend, used Google Maps or a TomTom, as long as you got there. The learner of today is like a person who doesn’t know where he or she is going, but knows exactly where to look to find out.

References

Siemens, G. (2005, January). Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. International Journal of Instructional Technology and Distance Learning. Retrieved November 20, 2005.

Siemens, G. (2007). The Changing Nature of Knowledge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMcTHndpzYg
Retrieved January 10, 2009.

Computer Experience Screen Shot

The top three ways that I would use blogs in my own teaching...

1.) To communicate!

Blogs are an incredible way to communicate with not only students, but also parents. If the school that I am working in does not provide its teachers with web space, I could easily create a blog that allows parents to get to know me as well as my educational philosophy. I can also keep them constantly up to date with what's going on in the classroom and post useful resources.

2.) To assess!

Considering my undergraduate degree is Social Studies education, grades 5-12, I think blogs would be a great way to assess my future students' knowledge. Why not allow my students to make social connections and go global while still being able to gauge their understanding? Instead of having students write a report or create a poster that will only reach out to the students in my classroom and eventually be thrown away, why not have students create a blog that could potentially reach millions and last forever? Creating a blog is an authentic task with an authentic audience and I think it's a great way to assess students at the secondary level. Blogs also spark creativity and improve oral and written skills.

3.) To motivate!

Blogging is fun! Being that this is my very first blog, I can personally testify to this. Aren't we always looking for ways to disguise learning as fun? Look no further! Students love technology and they also love to be heard, especially at the secondary level. Take advantage of this and not only encourage students to blog, but incorporate blogging into your lessons. Also, create a class blog in order to keep everyone connected and allow student collaboration.