What did you find surprising or striking as you furthered your knowledge about how people learn?
I knew that there were many different learning theories. However, I never realized that we needed to blend the theories together in order to help all the students in our classroom. I tend to use constructivism in my class for learning with behaviorism to provide a safe environment, but I now see the need to bring connectivism into my classroom as well. As Bill Kerr states, “It seems to me that each _ism is offering something useful without any of them being complete or stand alone in their own right.” (Kerr, 2007)
How has this course deepened your understanding of your personal learning process?
From learning about the different theories and strategies before, I thought myself to be a visual learner, strong in linguistics, logic, and a little bodily-kinesthetic. I like to read rather than listen to lectures, and I learn most through constructivism, when I can use my hands and figure out how something works. However, I never considered the fact that my learning is connected. I use the computer to research topics on the Internet, I e-mail people who have expertise in the area in which I need help, and now I am earning a degree entirely online. It is up to me to “draw distinctions between important and unimportant information . . . ” (Davis, 2008)
I also never thought of myself as an adult, distance education learner. As an adult learner, I believe that I am more self-directed and that much of my learning is related to furthering my understanding of my job. I also know that I now draw on my experience, which I could not do as a young student. Lastly, I believe that I am mostly intrinsically motivated and in control of my learning (Conlan, 2003).
What have you learned regarding the connection between learning theories, learning styles, educational technology, and motivation?
As teachers, we need to understand the different learning theories and styles and be able to use them with technology and motivation. We must combine them to be effective instructors. “Interest in learning styles reminds teachers to develop a variety of instructional methods to help diverse students to learn in different ways.” (Frisby, 2005)
We must recognize that students are more connected today, and start to use that technology in our instructional design to motivate our students. As the teacher in Finland stated, “ . . . integrate ITC into everything you do.” (Online Streaming Media, 2006)
How will your learning in this course help you as you further your career in the field of instructional design?
This course has taught me that I must actively reflect on my instructional design. What works today, may not be the best for my students in the future. I must constantly strive to offer my students all types of activities to appeal to everyone’s learning preferences, styles, and sources of motivation.
As a new technology coordinator, I will also have to remember that the teachers are adult learners. I must not only learn to appeal to their sense of andragogy when motivating them to incorporate new techniques and technology into their personal classrooms, but I must also take into consideration their inexperience and trepidation with the new technologies and provide them with support.
References
Conlan, J., Grabowski, S., & Smith, K. (2003). Adult learning. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved on 6 July 2010 from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Adult_Learning.
Davis, C., Edmunds, E., & Kelly-Bateman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved on 6 July 2010 from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title-Connectivism.
Frisby, C. L. (2005). Learning styles. In S. W. Lee (Ed.), Encyclopedia of school psychology. Retrieved on 20 July 2010 from Sage Reference Online database.
Kerr, B. (2007, January 1). Online transactions [Msg 1]. Message posted to http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html.
Online Streaming Media. (30 June 2006). “Teachers’ TV: Primary ICT – Natural Connections.” http://www.teachers.tv/video/4977.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Fitting the Pieces Together
Now that I have a deeper understanding of the different learning theories and learning styles, how has my view on how I learn changed?
I now understand that there are many more factors involved in my learning process. No one learning theory, learning style, or learning strategy can define how I learn. "It seems to me that each _ism is offering something useful without any of them being complete or stand alone in their own right." (Kerr, 2007)
As an adult learner, I am more motivated and self-directed than I was during and right out of high school. As a young student in college, I failed several subjects and dropped out after a year. In my thirties, I graduated with honors from my bachelor's degree. I then spent six years going part-time for my masters. I am now able to motivate myself to complete on-line classes for this masters degree. Reflecting back, I would not have had the self-discipline to complete this degree as a young student.
What have I learned about the various learning theories and learning styles over the past weeks that can further explain my own personal learning preferences?
Behaviorism does not play a big part in my learning. After a few weeks of poor performance in discussions, I learned what was expected. Therefore, the negative consequence a what I considered an unacceptable grade changed my discussion behavior so that I could received a positive reinforcement - an acceptable grade. (Standrige, 2001)
Cognitivism has played a part because I have taken what I have learned in earlier classes and related it to what we have learned in this class. (Ormrod, 2009) However, most of the learning that we have done is complex. Cognitive learning is more for "growth of conceptual understanding and general strategies of thinking and understanding." (Greeno, 1998)
Constructivism still is the best way that I learn. I take what I have already learned and "develop new cognitive structures leading to more sophicticated meanings." (Jenkins, 2006) I tend to be more individualized in my learning preferences, and not inclined to social learning. When I first started teaching, I had an excellent department chair. Much of how I solved problems and how I teach came through my interactions with her during my first few years. (Kim, 2001) Therefore, I believe that when I am learning something for myself, I prefer constructive learning on my own. However, when I am trying to learn something that involves others, I prefer social constructivism.
What role does technology play in my learning?
Technology plays a very important role in my learning. "Our knowledge literally is distributed across other networks of human beings, technological devices, and other ends. That's where connectivism starts to come into play. So that's the application of the technology to aid and to extend that dimension as well." (Video, date unknown) I had never heard of connectivism until a few weeks ago, but I now understand that it is a major way that I learn. Connectivism obviously is the means for learning in this class. We are all connected together by the technology, and research and use the technology for learning. However, I had never reflected on how I use technology in my everyday life for learning. When I have a question at work, I can quickly e-mail a co-worker. If I have a question about a medical issue, I can look it up on the Internet. Technology has opened up the world to everyone and it is now extremely easy to learn about topics in which we have an interest.
References:
Greeno, J. G. (1998). The situativity of knowing, learning, and research. American Psychologist. 53(1), 5-26.
Jenkins, J. (2006). Constructivism. In Encyclopedia of educational leadership and administration.
Kerr, B. (2007, January 1). Online transactions [Msg 1]. Message posted to http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html.
Kim, B. (2001). Social constructivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved on 6 July 2010 from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Social_Constructivism.
Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. (2009). Learning theories and instruction (Laureate custome edition). New York: Pearson.
Standridge, M. (2001). Behaviorism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved on 6 July 2010 from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Behaviorism.
Video. (Date unknown). "Connectivism." Laureate Education, Inc.
I now understand that there are many more factors involved in my learning process. No one learning theory, learning style, or learning strategy can define how I learn. "It seems to me that each _ism is offering something useful without any of them being complete or stand alone in their own right." (Kerr, 2007)
As an adult learner, I am more motivated and self-directed than I was during and right out of high school. As a young student in college, I failed several subjects and dropped out after a year. In my thirties, I graduated with honors from my bachelor's degree. I then spent six years going part-time for my masters. I am now able to motivate myself to complete on-line classes for this masters degree. Reflecting back, I would not have had the self-discipline to complete this degree as a young student.
What have I learned about the various learning theories and learning styles over the past weeks that can further explain my own personal learning preferences?
Behaviorism does not play a big part in my learning. After a few weeks of poor performance in discussions, I learned what was expected. Therefore, the negative consequence a what I considered an unacceptable grade changed my discussion behavior so that I could received a positive reinforcement - an acceptable grade. (Standrige, 2001)
Cognitivism has played a part because I have taken what I have learned in earlier classes and related it to what we have learned in this class. (Ormrod, 2009) However, most of the learning that we have done is complex. Cognitive learning is more for "growth of conceptual understanding and general strategies of thinking and understanding." (Greeno, 1998)
Constructivism still is the best way that I learn. I take what I have already learned and "develop new cognitive structures leading to more sophicticated meanings." (Jenkins, 2006) I tend to be more individualized in my learning preferences, and not inclined to social learning. When I first started teaching, I had an excellent department chair. Much of how I solved problems and how I teach came through my interactions with her during my first few years. (Kim, 2001) Therefore, I believe that when I am learning something for myself, I prefer constructive learning on my own. However, when I am trying to learn something that involves others, I prefer social constructivism.
What role does technology play in my learning?
Technology plays a very important role in my learning. "Our knowledge literally is distributed across other networks of human beings, technological devices, and other ends. That's where connectivism starts to come into play. So that's the application of the technology to aid and to extend that dimension as well." (Video, date unknown) I had never heard of connectivism until a few weeks ago, but I now understand that it is a major way that I learn. Connectivism obviously is the means for learning in this class. We are all connected together by the technology, and research and use the technology for learning. However, I had never reflected on how I use technology in my everyday life for learning. When I have a question at work, I can quickly e-mail a co-worker. If I have a question about a medical issue, I can look it up on the Internet. Technology has opened up the world to everyone and it is now extremely easy to learn about topics in which we have an interest.
References:
Greeno, J. G. (1998). The situativity of knowing, learning, and research. American Psychologist. 53(1), 5-26.
Jenkins, J. (2006). Constructivism. In Encyclopedia of educational leadership and administration.
Kerr, B. (2007, January 1). Online transactions [Msg 1]. Message posted to http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html.
Kim, B. (2001). Social constructivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved on 6 July 2010 from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Social_Constructivism.
Ormrod, J., Schunk, D., & Gredler, M. (2009). Learning theories and instruction (Laureate custome edition). New York: Pearson.
Standridge, M. (2001). Behaviorism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved on 6 July 2010 from http://projects.coe.uga.edu/epltt/index.php?title=Behaviorism.
Video. (Date unknown). "Connectivism." Laureate Education, Inc.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Reflections on My Learning Connections
How has my network changed the way I learn?
My entire primary/secondary and undergraduate degrees were earned in traditional classrooms. I never used a computer in my primary/secondary education and rarely used one for my undergraduate degree. Most of my learning was conducted through lectures with some hands-on and cooperative group learning. I remember that my third grade teacher liked to use cooperative learning. She was my favorite teacher. However, by the time I got to college I came to dislike cooperative group learning because of the disparity of contributed work. I did little research on the computer even though I worked in the library. The breath of research on the computer was through the college library computer resources. Almost all my research was conducted through printed books and journals.
For my last masters degree, I started to use the Internet more for research. I had several online classes, although the majority was still in a traditional classroom setting. There was more group work that I enjoyed because most everyone participated. However, most of the work could be done during class time, so we did not have to communicate through the computer much. The online classes were mainly entering a weekly chat session and completing work independently and submitting the assignments.
For this degree, I have relied entirely on the computer. The online library is a huge resource. Instead of real-time chats, we post discussions that allow us more flexibility on when we have to sit down at the computer. I feel this gives me more time to prepare what I want to say instead of trying to type a reply quickly so that my response appears before someone goes onto another topic. Also, especially in this class, I have learned how to use additional computer resources. Last class I had to learn how to create an iMovie and post it so the entire class could review it. This class, I have had to learn how to create a blog, an aggregate feed reader, and how to create, copy, and post a mind map.
Therefore I would say that my network has changed the way I learn from being in a teacher-directed classroom where I was very passive, to becoming a self-directed learner where the instructor is my guide and facilitator.
Which digital tools best facilitate learning for you?
The digital tools that best facilitate learning for me include using the Internet to conduct research through websites, journals, and blogs. I do this for personal learning as well as for classwork. I still highly depend on library resources and love the online library. I also like to read the posts from my classmates to learn different perspectives that they have on our readings each week. I am not much into social networks and I do not use them for learning.
How do you gain new knowledge when you have questions?
When I have questions, I gain new knowledge mostly through searches on the Internet. If I personally know someone with expertise in the area, I will go to that person or e-mail them. I also love to read books, and my local library is a big resource. I still am not sure if I will use blogs, unless they are peer edited. I do not trust many sources as people tend to be biased, myself included. Therefore, I tend to visit many sites, and if I find conflicting material, I turn to books and journals.
In what ways does your personal learning network support or refute the central tenets of connectivism?
My personal learning network supports the tenets of connectivism. According to Siemens (Davis, 2008), "connectivism is driven by the understanding that decisions are based on rapidly altering foundations. New information is continually being acquired and the ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information is vital. Also critical is the ability to recognize when new information alters the landscape based on decisions made yesterday." My learning today using my network of Internet, online classes/classmates, etc. is totally different from my learning in my early years when I depended on my teachers to guide my learning. I am the person who now determines what is vital and unimportant and my learning has broadened my environment and has changed many of my beliefs. Siemens also states (Video, date unknown), "Our knowledge literally is distributed across other networks of human beings, technological devices, and other ends. That's where connectivism starts to come into play. So that's the application of the technology to aid and to extend that dimension as well." Technology has opened up so many resources for people to pursue knowledge. As each year goes by, I learn new ways of using technology to supplement the knowledge I gain in my personal connections.
References:
Davis, C., Edmunds, E., & Kelly-Baterman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved on 6 July 2010 from http://projects.coe.uga.edu//epltt/index.php?title=Connectivism.
Video. (Date unknown). "Connectivism." Laureate Education, Inc.
My entire primary/secondary and undergraduate degrees were earned in traditional classrooms. I never used a computer in my primary/secondary education and rarely used one for my undergraduate degree. Most of my learning was conducted through lectures with some hands-on and cooperative group learning. I remember that my third grade teacher liked to use cooperative learning. She was my favorite teacher. However, by the time I got to college I came to dislike cooperative group learning because of the disparity of contributed work. I did little research on the computer even though I worked in the library. The breath of research on the computer was through the college library computer resources. Almost all my research was conducted through printed books and journals.
For my last masters degree, I started to use the Internet more for research. I had several online classes, although the majority was still in a traditional classroom setting. There was more group work that I enjoyed because most everyone participated. However, most of the work could be done during class time, so we did not have to communicate through the computer much. The online classes were mainly entering a weekly chat session and completing work independently and submitting the assignments.
For this degree, I have relied entirely on the computer. The online library is a huge resource. Instead of real-time chats, we post discussions that allow us more flexibility on when we have to sit down at the computer. I feel this gives me more time to prepare what I want to say instead of trying to type a reply quickly so that my response appears before someone goes onto another topic. Also, especially in this class, I have learned how to use additional computer resources. Last class I had to learn how to create an iMovie and post it so the entire class could review it. This class, I have had to learn how to create a blog, an aggregate feed reader, and how to create, copy, and post a mind map.
Therefore I would say that my network has changed the way I learn from being in a teacher-directed classroom where I was very passive, to becoming a self-directed learner where the instructor is my guide and facilitator.
Which digital tools best facilitate learning for you?
The digital tools that best facilitate learning for me include using the Internet to conduct research through websites, journals, and blogs. I do this for personal learning as well as for classwork. I still highly depend on library resources and love the online library. I also like to read the posts from my classmates to learn different perspectives that they have on our readings each week. I am not much into social networks and I do not use them for learning.
How do you gain new knowledge when you have questions?
When I have questions, I gain new knowledge mostly through searches on the Internet. If I personally know someone with expertise in the area, I will go to that person or e-mail them. I also love to read books, and my local library is a big resource. I still am not sure if I will use blogs, unless they are peer edited. I do not trust many sources as people tend to be biased, myself included. Therefore, I tend to visit many sites, and if I find conflicting material, I turn to books and journals.
In what ways does your personal learning network support or refute the central tenets of connectivism?
My personal learning network supports the tenets of connectivism. According to Siemens (Davis, 2008), "connectivism is driven by the understanding that decisions are based on rapidly altering foundations. New information is continually being acquired and the ability to draw distinctions between important and unimportant information is vital. Also critical is the ability to recognize when new information alters the landscape based on decisions made yesterday." My learning today using my network of Internet, online classes/classmates, etc. is totally different from my learning in my early years when I depended on my teachers to guide my learning. I am the person who now determines what is vital and unimportant and my learning has broadened my environment and has changed many of my beliefs. Siemens also states (Video, date unknown), "Our knowledge literally is distributed across other networks of human beings, technological devices, and other ends. That's where connectivism starts to come into play. So that's the application of the technology to aid and to extend that dimension as well." Technology has opened up so many resources for people to pursue knowledge. As each year goes by, I learn new ways of using technology to supplement the knowledge I gain in my personal connections.
References:
Davis, C., Edmunds, E., & Kelly-Baterman, V. (2008). Connectivism. In M. Orey (Ed.), Emerging perspectives on learning, teaching, and technology. Retrieved on 6 July 2010 from http://projects.coe.uga.edu//epltt/index.php?title=Connectivism.
Video. (Date unknown). "Connectivism." Laureate Education, Inc.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Connectivism
This week we are to post a mind map of our personal networks that we construct to obtain knowledge. This is my mind map.
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Evaluating Brain and Information Processing Resources
This week's assignment is to evaluate web sites and/or online journals that present information on the brain and learning, information processing theory, and problem-solving methods during the learning process.
The first online journal that I reviewed is the Phi Delta Kapplan. I found a very interesting article in this online journal when searching on the brain and learning, "A Fresh Look at Brain-Based Education" (Jenson, 2008). According to Jensen, educators need to start using research on the brain in educational design. "I will show how the synergy of [neuro]biology, cognitive science, and education can support better education with direct application to schools." I think that this article is very relevant to instructional design. Jensen argues that pedagogy must take into consideration understanding how the brain works so teachers know why each teaching strategy works and be able to employ the best strategies for learning in different situations and for different learners. Jensen states that, "Schools present countless opportunities to affect students' brains. Such issues as stress, exercise, nutrition, and social conditions are all relevant, brain-based issues that affect cognition, attention, classroom discipline, attendance, and memory. Our new understanding is that every school day changes the student's brain in some way. Once we make those connections, we can make choices in how we prioritize policies and strategies." Besides this very informative article on the brain and learning, Phi Delta Kappan offers access to many back issues that address all kinds of different issues facing educators. I found this online journal to be a very beneficial resource to all educators.
My next search was on information processing theory. The specific article I was directed to was: "Information Processing Theory" (Schraw & McCrudden, date unknown). I found this article to be very informative. In addition to reinforcing the readings we had this week, the last topic of the article dealt with implications for instruction. This section gave very explicit ideas on the implications of information processing for instructional designers. From this article, there are multiple links to other relevant theories in educational design and other current articles on educational topics. The home web site is Education.com. This home page is very logically organized, so you can easily navigate to areas of interest. You can browse articles by topic, grade, or age. There is a magazine archive link that includes an easy-to-use search engine. The home page also includes a link to a blog site where you can post or make comments. Frankly, I did not think much of the blog page. The topics were not relevant to an educator and seemed to be random postings about anything. However, there was another page, Education A-Z, that included an organized page for links to topics. I find this site to be a good source for information, but not a good source for communication.
Our final topic for this assignment is problem-solving methods during the learning process. The article that I found was: "Young Children's Awareness of Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) (Hwang & Gorrell, 2001). The article described how young children were or were not aware of the SRL of effective and ineffective model problem solvers. Most of the children that were aware of the models' SRL were the children that were able to complete the project correctly before seeing the demonstrations. On the other hand, the children that were unsuccessful in completing the project were more likely not to understand the SRL of the models. The web site from which I found this topic (and many, many, more) is Ed Psyc Central. I highly recommend this web site for educators. There are links to topics in education, psychology, research, teacher education, professional development, theory-research-practice, and many more. In addition there are search engines and journals. From this one web site, educators can find a link to almost any topic they want to explore. The only drawback is that some of the web sites are defunct.
Jenson, E. P. (2008). A Fresh Look at Brain-Based Education. Phi Delta Kappan, 89(6), 408-417. Retrieved from http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/k_v89/k0802jen.htm on July 8, 2010.
Schraw, G. & McCrudden, M. (Date unknown). Information Processing Theory. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/information-processing-theory/ on July 8, 2010.
The first online journal that I reviewed is the Phi Delta Kapplan. I found a very interesting article in this online journal when searching on the brain and learning, "A Fresh Look at Brain-Based Education" (Jenson, 2008). According to Jensen, educators need to start using research on the brain in educational design. "I will show how the synergy of [neuro]biology, cognitive science, and education can support better education with direct application to schools." I think that this article is very relevant to instructional design. Jensen argues that pedagogy must take into consideration understanding how the brain works so teachers know why each teaching strategy works and be able to employ the best strategies for learning in different situations and for different learners. Jensen states that, "Schools present countless opportunities to affect students' brains. Such issues as stress, exercise, nutrition, and social conditions are all relevant, brain-based issues that affect cognition, attention, classroom discipline, attendance, and memory. Our new understanding is that every school day changes the student's brain in some way. Once we make those connections, we can make choices in how we prioritize policies and strategies." Besides this very informative article on the brain and learning, Phi Delta Kappan offers access to many back issues that address all kinds of different issues facing educators. I found this online journal to be a very beneficial resource to all educators.
My next search was on information processing theory. The specific article I was directed to was: "Information Processing Theory" (Schraw & McCrudden, date unknown). I found this article to be very informative. In addition to reinforcing the readings we had this week, the last topic of the article dealt with implications for instruction. This section gave very explicit ideas on the implications of information processing for instructional designers. From this article, there are multiple links to other relevant theories in educational design and other current articles on educational topics. The home web site is Education.com. This home page is very logically organized, so you can easily navigate to areas of interest. You can browse articles by topic, grade, or age. There is a magazine archive link that includes an easy-to-use search engine. The home page also includes a link to a blog site where you can post or make comments. Frankly, I did not think much of the blog page. The topics were not relevant to an educator and seemed to be random postings about anything. However, there was another page, Education A-Z, that included an organized page for links to topics. I find this site to be a good source for information, but not a good source for communication.
Our final topic for this assignment is problem-solving methods during the learning process. The article that I found was: "Young Children's Awareness of Self-Regulated Learning (SRL) (Hwang & Gorrell, 2001). The article described how young children were or were not aware of the SRL of effective and ineffective model problem solvers. Most of the children that were aware of the models' SRL were the children that were able to complete the project correctly before seeing the demonstrations. On the other hand, the children that were unsuccessful in completing the project were more likely not to understand the SRL of the models. The web site from which I found this topic (and many, many, more) is Ed Psyc Central. I highly recommend this web site for educators. There are links to topics in education, psychology, research, teacher education, professional development, theory-research-practice, and many more. In addition there are search engines and journals. From this one web site, educators can find a link to almost any topic they want to explore. The only drawback is that some of the web sites are defunct.
Hwang, Y. S. & Gorrell, J. (2001). Young Children's Awareness of Self-Regulated Learning (SRL). Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the American Education Research Association (Seattle, WA, April 10-14, 2001).
Jenson, E. P. (2008). A Fresh Look at Brain-Based Education. Phi Delta Kappan, 89(6), 408-417. Retrieved from http://www.pdkintl.org/kappan/k_v89/k0802jen.htm on July 8, 2010.
Schraw, G. & McCrudden, M. (Date unknown). Information Processing Theory. Retrieved from http://www.education.com/reference/article/information-processing-theory/ on July 8, 2010.
Sunday, July 4, 2010
Quality Educational Blogs
One educational blog that I like is The Innovative Educator. I believe that students today are technologically savvy and we need to incorporate technology into our classrooms. This blog is dedicated to discussions about how to use technology in the classroom. The ideas range from how students can use technology in the classroom, to how teachers can use technology to more easily prepare for class and save time doing all the small tasks that we devote considerable time and effort to each day, to how you can get your principal to use technology to promote your school - a definite need when you teach at a parochial school as I do. Additionally, the blog has a very logical format where it is easy to post comments and many links to additional blogs and web sites.
Another educational blog that I found is Free Tech 4 Teachers. This blog includes articles about free resources for teachers, articles about ideas for teaching with technology, and lesson plans for incorporating technology into all the different disciplines. A recent posting lists a search engine that has been developed by librarians, teachers, and research experts called Sweet Search. This is a great site that sorts searches into sites for teachers, librarians, or students; by discipline; and it also has links to biographies of over a 1,000 important people. These sites are filtered to be appropriate for students. This could be a great resource for teachers. The Free Tech 4 Teachers blog includes pages for free resources, a job board, Google tutorials, video creation resources, and a tutorial to create a personal professional network online.
A third educational blog that is helpful for educators is Education Next. This is a web site for the journal "Education Next." One page posts current topics of interest to educators. On another page, there is an archive of all the past journals. There is a topics page with separate pages for government and politics, inside schools, and school policy that have many links to current issues in schools. There is a blog page with relevant and interesting posts to which it is easy to comment or tweet. There is a multimedia page with videos, podcasts, and photos. All the pages have many links to other resources and articles. This is a very good site to find information about current topics in education and communicate with others.
Another educational blog that I found is Free Tech 4 Teachers. This blog includes articles about free resources for teachers, articles about ideas for teaching with technology, and lesson plans for incorporating technology into all the different disciplines. A recent posting lists a search engine that has been developed by librarians, teachers, and research experts called Sweet Search. This is a great site that sorts searches into sites for teachers, librarians, or students; by discipline; and it also has links to biographies of over a 1,000 important people. These sites are filtered to be appropriate for students. This could be a great resource for teachers. The Free Tech 4 Teachers blog includes pages for free resources, a job board, Google tutorials, video creation resources, and a tutorial to create a personal professional network online.
A third educational blog that is helpful for educators is Education Next. This is a web site for the journal "Education Next." One page posts current topics of interest to educators. On another page, there is an archive of all the past journals. There is a topics page with separate pages for government and politics, inside schools, and school policy that have many links to current issues in schools. There is a blog page with relevant and interesting posts to which it is easy to comment or tweet. There is a multimedia page with videos, podcasts, and photos. All the pages have many links to other resources and articles. This is a very good site to find information about current topics in education and communicate with others.
Saturday, July 3, 2010
New Blogger
Hi everyone! I am completely new to blogging. I am developing this blog for my online class: EDUC-6115 Learning Theories and Instruction. I hope you will find this blog to be informative.
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