Reflection: What does Web 2.0 mean to E-Learning today?

Reflection :

What does Web 2.0 Mean to e-Learning today?
Nick Floro | MacWorld Convention

During the Mac World convention, Nick Floro presented information regarding Web 2.0, and how free open sources are available which allow viewers to publish, modify, and add content to websites which are continuously being updated enabling the viewer to control data. As the Web 2.0 develops more , Mashups’ combines information from several sites and merge together to create a real application. This compilation of multiple Web 2.0 technologies working together, is creating an open source environment which is impacting the ways in which enable us to work across multiple platforms without bouncing between several applications.

Before the explosion of the ‘Digital Age,’ people often had limited access to tools and software applications to do the things which they are now capable of doing, because of the expense or unavailability of adequate resources. As Web 2.0 technologies continue to develop, many open source websites are providing on-line applications which enable their users to create , publish, and react to new information with members within their social networks. Several of these emerging open source communities provide a variety of tools, widgets, and HTML editing features which allow the user to easily input new information into pre-existing templates. RSS (Really Simple Syndication) streams allow the users to link to websites which stream new information to its members via their interests.

The presentation was very interesting and eye-opening. I’ve become fairly familiar with Blogs, Wikis, and RSS feeds, but now I’m beginning to see how a connection between a variety of Web 2.0 open sources can be Mashuped to created an effective instructional plan which incorporates the strengths of a variety of websites’ resources, working together.

When Mr. Floro begin discussing the how ‘Gaming” is impacting the learners today, I was surprised that he had this topic on his agenda. Ironically, I went to the Gaming Convention at the Moscone Center, the day before reading this article, and I was mesmerized at how many people where actually participating in these virtual worlds of Gaming and Simulation. At the conference, many of the characters which are popular in the Gaming industry, were represented by people with character costumes , large display booths and memorabilia for sale. GAMERS incorporate Games and Simulations, and the average college student spends over 10,000 hours before they graduate from college playing games and interacting in virtual communities.

Lastly, Mr. Floro introduced the McGraw / Hill – Guide Online, an online tool which can allow teachers to monitor student with an account for easy management of the students work as it is submitted. The online guide is developed in modular format and had a variety of topics. I plan to look further into the McGraw/Hill website for my final project, because some of the materials which I have been developing in applications, such as, Flash and iMovie have already been developed at a professional level, so rather than reinvent the wheel, I prefer to let things just roll. The Web 2.0 presentation was “GREAT!!!”

Reflection to ITEC #830 | February 19, 2008

Graham Glass | ‘The Future of Education

Tonight, in class , guest speaker, Graham Glass, discussed ‘The Future of Education.” He believes that people should work at their own natural pace. Mr. Glass discussed the relevancy of certain abstract concepts taught being taught, such as Trigonometry, Philosophy, and other theoretical ideas, rather than focusing on practical skills like,” How to start a business,’ Money management, or things which impact our day-to-day living.

People learn best when their attention is stimulated by something which captures their attention. Mr. Glass encourages us to provide learners with the opportunity to delve deeply into things which interest them, at the moment that their attention is sparked. Mr. Glass’ idea of an, “Ideal Educational system is, “Adaptive and self paced.” Too often most courses’ syllabi are not current. This static method of instruction does not encourage the learner engaged in the rapid acquisition of information, which is continuously changing. Classes of the future should have more of a ‘Starbuck’s” feel with students participating in virtual worlds which spark their interests. Learners are able to interact with other learners in virtual worlds via open sources.

. Edu2.0 http://www.edu20.org/ is Mr. Glass’ modular learning program that he is currently developing. Student can create work, upload it, and have it rated by expert panels. He is building a team of professionals for the development of Edu2.0 as a free open source environment.

I really like the philosophy of Mr. Glass’ approach to Education in the future. I believe that instructors should provide learners with the basic knowledge to perform important skills which impact them, like health, finances, and things which will shape their futures, then focus on providing opportunities challenges their interests. If we can educate the learner through the mediums in which they interact and enjoy, naturally, they grow at a pace which is natural and leass intimidating.

Greg’s Presentation on Google Earth

Greg’s presentation was very informative. I was not aware that Google Earth was as good for finding maps and visible view of routes. I had heard that it was a great tool for geography, but I learned a lot from the presentation. I went home and zoomed into my home.

Marcus’ Presentation on Flick’r

Marcus utilized the Web 2.0 technologies to teach with YouTube Videos explaining Flick’r. Even though, I already have an account with Flick’r, and I am familiar some of the services they provide, I hadn’t thought about post photos on Flicker then sending it to my Blog to share with others. That will be very useful.

Podcast Presentation

I did a presentation on Podcast. I will provide the link in a future post, soon.

ITEC #830 Wiki

Here is the URL to my Wiki. Please sign up to be a registered user. Thank you, Barry

http://barryitec830wiki.wetpaint.com/

Reflection | Learning in the Digital Age

Reflection to Article:
Learning in the Digital Age
John Seely Brown

In the Digital Age, effective instruction must incorporate theories and principles which are similar to the activities and situations within which they are used. Knowledge is inextricably situated in the physical and social context of its acquisition and how it will be used. Even though information can be looked up in a book or retrieved online, knowledge is harder, to pick up, write down, and transfer. It resides in someone’s mind and is acquired more through assimilation. Learning has shifted from an authority-based lecture model to discovery-based learning. An integrated, multidisciplinary approach which incorporates technology, help students develop better intuition about physical phenomena. The classical boundaries separating teaching, learning, research, administration, communication, media, and play, are all brought about by these new technologies.

Michael Polanyi defines knowledge as having two dimensions, explicit and tacit. Explicit lives in books and in our brains as concepts and facts. It deals with the “know-what. The tacit dimension deals with “know-how work practices and skills. Tacit knowledge can be distributed as a shared, socially constructed understanding that emerges from collaboration. The major benefits of the Internet and other technologies is they allow the user to communicate and express themselves with images (still and moving), sound, and multiple forms of intelligence, such as abstract, social, or kinesthetic. These modalities enhance the natural ways that humans learn.

Legitimate peripheral participation (LPP) is an analytic viewpoint on a way of understanding learning and intentional instruction. Rather than memorizing formulas, learners should not only just know the “standard” answers, but the real questions, sensibilities, and aesthetics, and why they matter. In higher education, the undergraduate curriculum is often designed to focus on pre-existing knowledge. In graduate education, it is the practice, not theories, that is the most important attribute of the program. Universities have multiple communities of scholars and practices which promotes an environment of creative tension that spawns new ideas, perspectives, and knowledge. . The focus on a specific field of study in a particular community, acclimates the learner to this new social network, its character, and what joining it would entail. The students’ active participation with practitioners makes them part of the process of creating knowledge. This shifts learning from an authority-based lecture model to discovery-based learning, using a social networked learning environment, enhanced by digital libraries and other Web resources.

The rapid growth and evolving nature of literacy involves not only text but also image and screen literacy. Young learners are constantly discovering new things as they browse through emergent digital libraries and other Web resources. Learners use information and communications technology (ICT) to meet, play, date, and learn. The focus is on an active learning approach, that is, a highly collaborative, hands-on environment, with extensive use of desktop experiments and educational technology. Through various interactive, open source communities, learners learn from each other, collaborate , and create new content. Disciplines traditionally kept apart are brought together. A change in the basic vehicle used for learning has shifted from archetypical courses, lectures, and textbooks to various interactive, electronically portable media. The traditional university boundaries are expanding beyond the campus. “It is imperative that we expand our concept of literacy to include visual, audio, interactive, and combined media, all combined in accurate, well organized, pedagogically solid productions. Because of the rapid pace of technological advances and knowledge, lifelong learning is critical for continued innovation and prosperity. Educators must combine both theory and practice to help learners bridge the rapidly expanding gap between traditional and digital age learning .

Reflection February 5, 2008

Reflection February 5, 2008

I really enjoyed class tonight. We’re learning a lot about the various Web 2.0 tools, such as, Wikis and Blogs. When Andrew and Phillip came to class tonight, I felt validated by their presentations. I’ve had classes with both of these gentlemen, and it was great to see them as “Experts” in utilizing the Wiki in an educational setting. Our ITEC program has acclamated us to working in the Web 2.0 technological format by creating Wikis, Blogs, and using MOODLE with iLearn. As a student we can see the growth of this by the other departments of the university switching to it.

I’ve always wonder what the big difference between the Wiki and a Blog was. Now I know that a Blog is like a journal, while a Wiki provides more flexibility than a Blog. A Wiki allows the user to edit and have multiple authors accessing and changing the information. After our initial Blog entries are posted we will be duplicating them in a Wiki. I believe that eventually, I’ll choose to use the Wiki rather than the Blog. The use of Wikis is something which we’ve become familiar with since I started the ITEC program, in the Spring of 2008. Ironically, at that time I had very little knowledge of the basic functions of the computer, how to use the various applications, or even the capabilities of the Internet. For my first assignment in ITEC #800, “History of Education,” my nephew showed me how to download images and make attachments to an email. Currently, I am becoming more experienced with some of the leading trends which is helping reorganize how our educational system will become reflective of the Digital Age.

After class, I laughed about how easy it is, for me now, to do some of the things which I once had great difficulty with. My personal experience with the Connectivism theories, provides me with insight to see the power and necessity of incorporating much of the social networking avenues, which we discussed in class tonight. As we become empowered by the resources and emerging paradigms which are shaping our society, it becomes apparent that the most effective means of educating the individual today will incorporate Connectivism tools and strategies.

Reflection to George Siemens’ Connectivism Articles

Reflection to George Siemens’ Connectivism Articles

The rapid emergence of Web 2.0 technologies has greatly impacted how we live, learn, and communicate in the 21^st century. The Internet provides access to information and various social network communities of individuals with similar interests or needs. Traditionally, the learning needs and theories that describe learning principles and process have been reflective of the underlying social environments.

In the article the author makes an analogy of the pipeline being a network with channels of information flowing through the pipes. For example, if the pipeline were an irrigational system, the channels would be used to disperse the water into sub canals in which the water can continue to flow to other areas. This avenue or informational highway allows several users from various parts of the world to access and utilize new information which is linked to their social networks.

The rapid development of technology has sped the pace, currency, and validity of new information. Today’s learners in the digital age are able to access a variety of databases, resources and other references, with search engines which link to similar websites, Blogs, RSS feeds , and other Web 2.0 technologies and communities . Blogs ,Wikis, and social networks, such as YouTube, Myspace, and Flicker allow members of their network communities to interact with members of their virtual communities. The continual changes and simultaneous dissemination of new information has changed many aspects of how we live and learn. People are able to use the expertise and experiences of others to resolve similar circumstances.

` In Western education, blended and emerging theories counterbalance established theories. The three dominate educational theories , Behaviorism, Cognitivism, and Constrructivism focus on how the learner demonstrates new knowledge or behaviors. These theories measure the individual’s ability to demonstrate specific knowledge rather than how to access or find new knowledge and information. Because of the rapid change, instant availability, and easy access to new information, the learners must develop skills which enable them to be able to find information rather than memorize it. Knowledge is growing so rapidly that the individual can not know everything. By utilizing a series of nodes, the individual creates a conduit with their network, which develops the whole network.

Connectivisim empowers the learner with resourceful links which are intertwined and interdependent with similar and diverse ideals. These pipelines are like threads of the World Wide Web, connecting and people, with people with similar interests. Connectivism has impacted several aspect of how people learn, think, and communicate on a daily basis. It is imperative that the educational theories are reflective of this rapid growth and adaptation of technology. Connectivism provides insight into learning skills and tasks needed for learners to flourish in a digital era.

Reflection to ITEC #830 Class | January 29, 2008

Reflection to ITEC #830 Class | January 29, 2008

Our class begin with an Icebreaker in which we were grouped into pairs, and given 1-2 minutes to find five similar characteristics between each paired group. The next phase of the Icebreaker grouped two of the paired groups, to find at least one similar attribute between all four members of the new group. We discovered that as the amount of members in the group grew, it became more difficult to find commonalities between the larger groups. We also discovered that the majority of the attributes identified were based upon visual and physical similarities, rather than more intrinsic characteristics, like values or beliefs. The last phase of the Icebreaking activity was for each individual pair to introduce their partners to the whole class. It seemed as if most of us lacked interested in the names of the first group, until Dr. Foreman asked someone from the other side of the room who they were? We all began to focus on the initial task, at that point.

As Dr. Foreman lead the class though the class syllabus, I begin to get very excited about the topics which we will be covering in this class. The concept of Connectivism and how it differs from the traditional teaching styles of Behaviorism and Constructivism, is a profound approach to developing instruction which I believe is more reflective of how “ 21^st Century” learners learn. These Digital Immigrants rely on social networking to gather pieces of information from a variety of resources via the Web 2.0 technologies. The most effective teaching strategies of today must incorporate the resources which are readily available and easily accessible throughout the Internet. The instant access to information from the multiple references, and various Networking communities, provides the learner with several avenues to created and share information, instantly and immediately. The learners can subscribe to a variety of Networking communities, RSS feeds, Wikis, and Blogs which provide links to websites and other resources which coincide with their interests.

For the remaining time, we discussed the syllabus and requirements of the class. I think this class is going to be very exciting and informational for me. I really like the concept of the learner maximizing the resources which are available to all learners, via Web 2.0.

Web 2.0

Barry Dow – Sp ‘08
ITEC #830 | Dr. Kim Foreman
Assignment #1 - Web 2.0

Web 2.0

On September 30, 2005, Tim O'Reilly wrote a piece, “ What Is Web 2.0 Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software,” in which he coined the term Web 2.0. Web 2.0 are web-based communities and hosted services (such as social-networking sites, wikis, and blogs). Technologies such as weblogs (blogs), social bookmarking, wikis, podcasts, RSS feeds (and other forms of publishing), social software, and web application programming interfaces (APIs) provide enhancements over read-only websites. These communities provide a platform which aims to facilitate creativity, collaboration, and sharing between users, by allowing them to link to videos, music, photos, and other social networking sites.

Even though many of the technology components of "Web 2.0" have existed since the early days of the Web, the advancements of technology changes the ways software developers and end-users use webs. Presently, portable devices allow individuals to create and generate interactions and content that is published, managed and used through social networking applications.

Social Networking

Early social networking websites included Classmates.com (1995), which focused on ties with former school mates, and SixDegrees.com (1997), focusing on indirect ties. Innovations included not only showing who is "friends" with whom, but giving users more control over content and connectivity. Some applications enabled the graphing of a user's own social network - thus linking social networks and social networking. By 2005, one social networking service MySpace, was reportedly getting more page views than Google. Many businesses are embracing the web as a platform and using its access to global audiences.