A Systems Framework Examination of the Impact of ICTs on Education

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I have had the great pleasure of spending part of my sabbatical as a visiting professor in Chile, working on a few different projects with the Faculdad de Educacion. This is the first of what will be three presentations that I am giving during my last week. In this presentation, I look at the impact of ICTs on Educational Practice using Bronfenbrenner´s Chronosystem, Exosystem, Microsystem, and the Individual to frame the discussion.

A Systems Framework Examination of the Impact of ICTs on Education from Anita Zijdemans Boudreau

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Learning to Change Changing to Learn

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Was cleaning up some of my other resources and still like the message of this video: Learning to Change Changing to Learn [5:37] 

video source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tahTKdEUAPk

Other Resources Related to Technological Literacy

Mobile Teaching & Learning https://sites.google.com/site/tech4tlcontent/mobile-learning

Other Video Resources:
Digital World: Digital Teachers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2j9qw-A0NM&NR=1&feature=fvwp

Education today and tomorrow [2:31] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnh9q_cQcUE&feature=related

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Continuing the Discussion on "Creating Effective OL Discussions"

I finally got to review the Farmakis webinar (Prezi presentation, Video recording) and found these tips really helpful: providing clear protocols/guidelines; using subjective or opinion rich questions; and providing rubrics along with good examples.

As we come to the end of Wk 3: Create Community - Connect Learners with Each Other, I'd like to attempt to bring the topic of OL Discussions back up to the top of the Community Wall, because the general consensus seems to be that discussions are the heart of online teaching but yet quite possibly the most difficult element to implement effectively.

I'd like to start by referencing this discussion thread that Ed initiated a few days ago, first because I want to capture it in my blog, but also because I appreciate what he shared. I was hoping that others might consider contributing some practical examples of how they create, facilitate, and evaluate discussions in their courses.

Multi Access Learning Framework

I was really excited to see this article from Irvine et al. (2013) as it addresses some of the very thoughts that I've been having around how to pull together the best elements from learning theory - can't forget our foundations :0) -  along with what we have been learning about MOOCs and Online Learning into a model that makes sense for those of us in Higher Education. The article references the works of:

• Brown & Campione's Fostering a Community of Learning [FCL] - research-share-perform; 
• Bruner's 4 Aspects of FCL - agency, reflection, collaboration & culture; and 
• Code's Agency Model - personal, proxy, and collective 

to establish a theoretical foundation for their Multi-Access Framework. They define Multi-Access Learning as a means of enabling students, in F2F and/or OL contexts, to personalize their learning experience while participating in a course.  The framework consists of 4 Tiers:

Tier 1 - F2F: traditional classroom teaching & learning
Tier 2 - Synchronous: both F2F & OL through web conferencing.
Tier 3 - Asynchronous: OL access to archives of F2F classes + collaborative activities that support co-construction of meaning
Tier 4 - Open Learning: following the xMOOc & cMOOC approach, non-credit students are able to access the course at no cost & the learning community has potential for global reach.

As I see it Tiers 1-3 describe Blended Learning. But the authors claim that this model is different

Review: Sue Waters Webinar

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I was really sorry to have missed the live session of Sue's webinar on "The Art of Blogging: How to connect, interact & build rapport with students" but really appreciated having access to the archive. For me it has been the most engaging session I've reviewed so far - as I watched I kept wishing that I had been there to engage in the conversation and ask questions.

Here's why it worked for me:

1. Interactive Discussion vs. Presentation: Sue modeled good web conferencing practice. She asked questions, had attendees respond to a question by writing on the whiteboard, got us to think about our own personal experiences [to help us think about how best to get our students engaging in blogs], and encouraged us to think critically about different tools.
2. Engaged in Some Good Focussed Distraction: The discussion went on an interesting detour that included topics/tools related to online teaching - e.g. how our MOOC facilitators are creating the newsletter using mailchimp, how to make good use of flipboard, pinterest - but then came back around to the main topic of blogging. 
3. Practical Focus: Sue talked about how things work, and pointed to examples, to help us understand how we might use these tools in our own practice. 
4. Excellent Resources: Some great resources and exemplars where shared throughout the discussion - see list below

This post is written for a business audience, as it is talking about the role of learning in the workplace, but I think it gives some food for thought about the role of the LMS in learning and in education. Jennings captures something in this statement: Learning can only be managed by the individual in whose head the learning is occurring. The visual highlights the increasing role of informal, self directed learning particularly in  the workforce. In education, however, we should be thinking not only about the informal learning that takes place outside the classroom but also in eLearning contexts.
source: http://charles-jennings.blogspot.com/2013/04/managing-learning.html

PEW Results: Cell Use & the Internet

Of a national study - surveys and interviews - of 2252 18 years + from April to May 2013, results indicate that 63% are cell internet users [i.e. use their phones to access the net] up from 31% in 2009. if this, 34% - comprised most likely of young adults, non-whites, with relatively low income and education - are cell-mostly internet users.
http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Cell-Internet/Main-Findings/Cell-Internet.aspx

Adding Formative or Summative Grading to G Forms Using Flubaroo

Google Forms: are a great way to create surveys, quizzes, etc, but combined with Flubaroo instructors now have a quick way to grade.

Flubaroo: http://www.flubaroo.com/ is an tool that integrates with Google Forms [just add the Google App Script from the gallery in the spreadsheet drop down menu] that lets you easily perform diagnostics, grade assignments and do in-class assessments [such as dipsticking or thumbs up/down but on an individual student basis], as well as exit slip/tickets to see how well students have understood content. The tool allows the isntructor to create a report and these results can be emailed or shared out to students [with an individualized message and their score]. 

More information on how to use Flubaroo can be found at Google Education - which includes an archived webinar]:  https://sites.google.com/site/eduonair/conference-sessions/using-google-apps-to-enhance-instruction

Here too is video with a shorter review:

The history of technology in education

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This short video provides an timeline of some of the technologies that have influenced how we teach and learn through the centuries [The only thing I saw missing in the 510BCE Pythagoras Academy the was the use of wax tablets]. The journey ends in 2011, with the Smartboard. What struck me was how, in the short time between then and now, we have had an explosion in mobile learning and Apps.

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App Review Socrative 2 Minute Overview

A nice quick review of the possibilities for using the App Socrative - http://www.socrative.com/ -  in the classroom. The power of the tool is that it is user friendly and can be used across different devices for quick a formative assessment or CFU [check for understanding].

10 Skills Modern Teachers Must Have

Some useful things to consider when trying to keep abreast in these digital times. Here's the visual summary of the article and the link  http://www.edudemic.com/the-10-skills-modern-teachers-must-have/

WEEK 1 Artifact & Reflection

The artifact I created is essentially a summary of my journey this past week that includes keywords, visuals,  and snippets of things that stuck. Like some others, I thought I'd try at different tool - PowToon was fun to use! I suggest this might be a lot more interesting than the lengthy reflection that follows.

Making Sense of Week 1
It's almost the end of WK1 & my head is spinning. I've reviewed a lot of materials over the last days and due to other commitments had trouble attending all of the live webinars - I just managed to squeeze in Bates' presentation but wasn't in a clear headspace to get a lot out of it or contribute to the discussion. I have, however, enjoyed reading his work in the past did find the 9 Steps interesting:

eLearning in the Age of Choice

Ed Week Webinar 8/28/2012
Presenters: Sue Winkler Davis SD, Utah & Cleon Franklin Memphis City Schools

Two case scenarios are presented as examples of how districts are developing online courses to both meet State requirements for HS students to have an online course experience, as well as meet the needs of students.

Highlights from Davis SD
- Clients include homeschoolers, credit acceleration, credit recovery, blended learning
- Created own content with district teachers vs. using outside providers
- Developed consortium with 6 other districts based on common LMS and joint agreement to share resources
- Year round course offerings

Education in the Age of Mobilism

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10/25/12 Lightening Webinar, ISTE’s SIGML
Education in the Age of Mobilism: Biggest Change to K-12-Ever
Eliot Soloway, U Michigan Cathleen Morris U N. Texas
Webinar: http://iste.adobeconnect.com/p3qqtqqf1rn/

The essence of this webinar is that the shift to mobile is here, but SW + mobile devices need to reflect 21st century learning – i.e. 4 C’s – Collaboration, Communication, Critical Thinking, Creativity – and not to reinforce outdated pedagogies.

Some Highlights:
Post PC era = Age of Mobilism
1.5 billion smartphones connected to the internet – mobile fastest uptake ever
Smartphones vs PCs vs Feature Phones: FLURRY survey on Smartphone use:
- 2010 = Browsing @ 94mins/ Apps @ 43min
- 2011 = Browsing @ 72mins/ Apps @ 94mins
Feature or non-smart phones will disappear in 3-5 years [Horace Dedui, analyst]
PC shipments decline 1% in 2012 first time in a decade
School shipments of PCs down 13.9% even as & 1million iPads sold to schools
Negroponte’s $100 tablet is here now [one e.g. Google to drop 7” tablet to $100 when 10” is released]
- Smartphones = device of choice
Project Glass: $1500 wearable computer [glasses] à predict $150 in 2 years = BIG change
Why Software is Eating the World, Mar Andreessen [Mosaic browser creator] e.g. iTunes [SW + mobile device] Netflix

Smartphones to Surpass 1 Billion in 2013

Smart phones will grow 40 percent this year compared with 2012, while the overall mobile phone market will grow just 7.3 percent worldwide to 1.8 billion units. By 2017, smart phones are expected to reach 1.7 billion unit shipments per year, with overall cell phone shipments reaching 2.3 billion units.

iCharts

Source: http://campustechnology.com/Articles/2013/09/05/Smart-Phones-To-Surpass-1-Billion-Units-This-Year.aspx?Page=1

The Anthropology of Mobile Phones

What are the top 3 most important items that people carry? Money, keys, and our cel phones. According to Chipchase, this is true across gender, cultures, and contexts.

This TED talk shares some interesting and surprising discoveries about how people in third world countries strive to connect over time and space - some 3 billion + have mobile phones worldwide. Street innovations - such as using the mobile phone as an ATM to send money to rural villages, and reverse engineering to meet the demand for fixing broken phones - exemplify how necessity is the mother of invention, as well as our impressive creative capacity when faced with few or limited resources.

Source: http://www.ted.com/talks/jan_chipchase_on_our_mobile_phones.html

Transcript: HERE

Trends in Mobile Device Acquisition 1975-2011

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We've all heard about the massive proliferation of mobile devices, the worldwide increase in the purchase of cellular phone. This image [does not include all mobile platforms] shows units of devices shipped from 1975-2011 and provide an interesting window on trends in the marketplace.

PCs on the downfall:

• iPad can no longer be considered a niched- volume of sales in its first 2 years places it within an order of magnitude of all PCs sold.
• iPhone, Android, iPad as the new entrants into personal computing have a combined volume that is higher that PCs sold in the same period [approx. 358 million vs. 336 million excluding Macs in 2011]

Three Phases or Eras

1975-1991: Emergence & rapid growth but also multiple standards and experiments

1991-2007: Microsoft Dominates

2008 - 2012: iPhone & Derivatives Dominate

Which Tablet Case...?

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As I prepared to loan out the half dozen iPads that I was able to pull together - from my Faculty Development Grant and loan from our Educational Tech Director Al Weiss - I was faced with the question of how best to protect the devices to ensure the longest shelf life. This turned out to be quite the challenge. First off, there are a gazillion varieties to choose from. What I'll share here are the 3 models we ended up going with. I did also buy one standard case sleeve model seen on the right here - those provide good basic protection and come in at various prices - but as those are fairly basic no further explanation is needed. 

I ended up buying 3 different models through Amazon, and between using them personally and getting feedback from my students have some thoughts about what one might want to consider when looking for a case:

Kensington - KeyFolio Pro 2 Removable Keyboard, Case and Stand For iPad 4 with Retina Display, New iPad (3rd Gen) and iPad 2 (K39512US) - approx $50 AMAZON

This case offers good protection so is a solid choice. To use the iPad alone, it is easy to remove the keypad, however, the bottom half of the case will hang loose and flap which may make using the iPad alone a bit awkward.

AboutMOOCs

https://groups.diigo.com/group/about_moocs
I created this Open Diigo group called AboutMOOCs. I've been linking in resources from the 'How To Teach Online' course, Google+ and #tomooc groups, as well as adding others related to MOOCs as I come across them. My thought is to create a central resource base that can be used to help my learning and future teaching, but also to take this opportunity to explore social bookmarking .

WK0: GETTING MYSELF PREPARED

1. What is your intention for this course (why are you here)? I'm here to learn about this approach to learning so that I can be more effective teaching online for my students. As I am by nature more constructivist leaning, the philosophical orientation of the cMOOC really resonates for me.
2. What issues do you think are important? Collaboration, community, personalization, self-directed learning, creativity, challenging paradigms
3. How will you contribute? Share any additional materials that I find, and, when I feel I have perspective to offer, share any thoughts that might contribute to the discussion. On a personal level, I am committed to making connections & documenting/reflecting on my experience through my blog.
4. How would you like to see community develop among participants? Not sure. I'm thinking it will evolve organically, but guess I would like to see respectful interactions, constructive feedback so that we all feel encouraged/comfortable enough to participate, as well as, concise thoughtful postings as there will be so much material to engage.
5. These types of courses are new for most people. In fact about 90% don’t even participate. How will you overcome the fear of learning in the open and the frustration of using new technology? How do you plan to courageously work through any setbacks, and not give up? I've been teaching technology for several years and so by now am fully used to the frustration it brings - I'm still here :0) I see this as a chance to play with some tools that I just havent had time to explore. My challenge is figuring out what tool or combination of tools work best for me in terms of capturing, organizing resources and documenting my learning process. I already feel that my fear of the open environment is subsiding - I just created an open public diigo group, About MOOCs, for this course. I'm challenged by the recognition of how stuck I am in a linear learning approach but open to confronting that. I'm intuitively drawn to the Chaotic domain, as described in Cormier's reference to Snowden's model, and agree this exploration of MOOCs fits best in this dimension, but am not yet used to working comfortably in it.