Integrating social media into online education — from Faculty Focus by John Orlando
On 08/23/2010,
in blogs / blogging / vlogging, Personal Learning Networks (PLNs), professional development, social learning / networks,
by Daniel Christian
On 08/17/2010,
in 21st century, 24x7x365 access, A/V -- audio/visual, blended learning, change, changing business models, collaboration, convergence, dangers of the status quo, digital audio, digital learning, digital photography, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, disruption, distance education, education technology, educational games / serious games, elearning, emerging technologies, engagement / engaging students, expectations, face-to-face, future, game-changing environment, global / globalization, hybrid learning, innovation, interactivity, K-12 related, learning ecosystem, learning spaces, multimedia, New "Amazon.com" of Higher Education, online learning, online media, social learning / networks, technologies for your home, telecommunications, trends, videoconferencing, virtual field trips, virtual K-12 schools, Virtual Reality (VR) / worlds / learning, virtual tutoring, vision/possibilities, webinars,
by Daniel Christian
Online collaboration: New innovations pave the way for convergence — from prnewswire.com
Merger of television and computer takes giant step closer as innovative online tool suite is released
CALABASAS, Calif., Aug. 16 /PRNewswire/ — Anticipating the coming paradigm shift that will merge your television and your computer, NxtGenTV has just released the most cohesive system of online tools to facilitate the ultimate interactive communication platform. Four years of innovating has resulted in NetConference.com, an elegant, easy-to-use online meeting system that supports the diverse requirements of single users, small and medium size businesses as well as enterprise and nonprofit organizations. Creating a new opportunity for the global audience to interact online in even greater and more efficient ways is only one of the many benefits of building a social media broadcasting system that facilitates Communication, Collaboration, Presentation and Education.
An industry leader in online games, apps, widgets, banners and rich media development for major entertainment brands, The Illusion Factory created a new company, NxtGenTV to develop and patent cutting-edge online technologies such as shared synchronized visual media and other key innovations that will further blur the lines between computers and television. “We have been passionate about creating the cumulative new systems that will drive Convergence,” shares Brian Weiner, CEO of The Illusion Factory, “our creation of NxtGenTV will lead the push for truly interactive television.”
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On 07/21/2010,
in convergence, digital audio, digital storytelling, digital textbooks, digital video, disruption, personalized/customized learning, social learning / networks, social media,
by Daniel Christian
From DSC:
What if we had a “textbook” like this? One that targeted your social/learning network on a particular topic? Personalized…customized…and constantly up-to-date. Interesting…
(Quality may or may not be a concern…depending upon one’s social/learning network.)
On 06/11/2010,
in Apple, K-12 related, social learning / networks, social media, teaching & learning,
by Daniel Christian
Also see:
At the Core of the Apple Store: Images of Next Generation Learning [PDF file]
What can we learn from the Apple Store as a learning environment?
On 06/07/2010,
in educational games / serious games, interaction design, K-12 related, personalized/customized learning, social learning / networks,
by Daniel Christian
Like Facebook, but for learning — from eSchoolNews.com by Laura Devaney
Combining social networking with studying, Grockit encourages academic success through peer interaction
Aiming to engage students who are multitasking with different forms of technology, companies are creating collaborative learning spaces online where students can help one another solve homework problems and study—all while building important 21st-century skills.
One such social-networking study site is Grockit, which currently offers test-prep services and is expanding its focus to include math and English for students in grades 8-12, with history and science soon to follow. Grockit has opened enrollment for a free Summer Enrichment Academy, which is designed to keep students from falling behind during summer vacation as they participate in collaborative group study forums online.
Social Media Revolution 2 (Refresh) — from Erik Qualman [via G. Siemens]
Per George:
Erik Qualman’s socialmedia revolution video has been updated. He starts by asking: “Is social media a fad? Or the biggest shift since the industrial revolution?”. While the stats provided are interesting, his questions mistake the effect for the cause. It’s like asking, 150 years ago, “is the railway a fad? Or the biggest shift since the agricultural revolution?”. Of course, the railway was part of the industrial revolution. But it was needed largely because of other trends (economic, societal, technological innovation, etc.). In the same sense, social media is an expression, a carrier, of fundamental changes around information and interaction. It is not, however, the change itself. Three years ago, I communicated a similar concept in It’s not about the tools. It’s about the change*.
*In that posting George states:
It’s the change underlying these tools that I’m trying to emphasize. Forget blogs…think open dialogue. Forget wikis…think collaboration. Forget podcasts…think democracy of voice. Forget RSS/aggregation…think personal networks. Forget any of the tools…and think instead of the fundamental restructuring of how knowledge is created, disseminated, shared, and validated (emphasis DSC).
But to create real change, we need to move our conversation beyond simply the tools and our jargon. Parents understand the importance of preparing their children for tomorrow’s world. They might not understand RSS, mashups, and blogs. Society understands the importance of a skilled workforce, of critical and creative thinkers. They may not understand wikis, podcasts, or user-created video or collaboratively written software. Unfortunately, where our aim should be about change, our sights are set on tools. And we wonder why we’re not hitting the mark we desire. Perhaps our vision for change is still unsettled. What would success look like if we achieved it? What would classrooms look like? How would learning occur? We require a vision for change. It’s reflected occasionally in classroom 2.0 or enterprise 2.0 projects. But the tool, not change centric, theme still arises. We may think we are talking about change, but our audience hears hype and complex jargon.
What is your vision for change?