How Technology has Changed the Way we Learn.

Technology, it may be argued has increased the speed in which we hunt, gather and disseminate information that enables content and recorded experience to transcend cultural, religious and racial derision. That is not to say that these tensions have been buried in the archives of historical shame, however in terms of realising the right to a 'freedom of expression', the proliferation of global technology has given a voice to the voiceless and to the advocates who share the plight of vulnerable people worldwide.

Perhaps this is because, as Dr. Mc Knight (2012) argues that technology has changed the way we communicate, that we are able to communicate in "...different modalities, as a result of technology." Technology we might surmise is transforming our local vision towards global citizenship - helping and showing us where tolerance is needed, the importance of empathy, that actions speak louder than words and the significance of a shared responsibility towards building economically sustainable and socially viable communities.

But if you ask me if whether I think that the multitude of technologies available at the skillful press of a few widgets makes the human species any more sociable, I am not so convinced. Teachers in our local primary school comment that more and more children are unable to speak in sentences when they start school at four or five years old. Perhaps technology has accelerated our daily activity to the point where the quest to research and fulfill as many tasks as physically possible is beating the life out of 'real time conversation'. Post-modernist theorists such as Jean Baudrillard argues that we are all living in a state of hyperreality, a virtual existence, almost!

I refrain from sharing such a pessimistic view, but rather continue to have faith in the progress of technology and the way in which it continues to shape our learning. If behaviour is a personal choice, then the decision to communicate in a socially acceptable manner, including the aid of technologies might equally be regarded as the responsibility of the learner, an ideal for which I am always mindful of doing.

References:

Dr. Katherine Mc Knight, Top 12 ways technology changed learning, (2012), Retrieved, 12/12/2013:> http://www.teachhub.com/how-technology-changed-learning

   

The Value of Mobile Technology in Teaching and Learning.

It may argued that the world is already in the palms of the next generation ...!

The value of mobile technology in 'teaching and learning' ... is it necessary to separate the two entities since if the level of knowledge in technology is sufficient to enable the learner to engage in the task in hand, it could be reasonable to assume that the learner becomes the teacher, or the master, at least, of his or her own learning. As Jo Debens (2012), a geography teacher in Portsmouth shared in The Guardian its about the "...activity not the device."

The changing culture of learning in classrooms across the globe due to the prolific rise in the use of evolving information communication technologies such as m-learning, appears a step towards mutually enhanced learning structures. Documented by Hew & Brush (2006) who found that there are teachers who feel they have an "...inadequate knowledge of technology supported pedagogy", may find themselves being taught how to use the latest mobile phone gadgets for website research that does not depend on the internet access from the education provider or dictate the way in which students choose to learn.

If you keep your 'objectives' clear, as Matt Britland from Kingston Grammar School notes, then one of the most valuable and mortal gifts we can empower our learners with is to trust their judgement and often skillful ability to forge exploratory pathways that perhaps only m-learners really know how!

Jean-Eric Pelet (2013) appears to argue favourably for mobile technologies to enhance the learning environment for all its participants, in view of its 'adaptability' to the everyday needs of the learner. This idea is further emphasised by Drummond (2013) that suggests upon learners being given the task to produce short films they demonstrated an range of additional key skills such as learning the language of cinema, the acquisition of film-making techniques and skills to utilise on mobile devices.(2013, p.131).

As Britland summarized let learners "... decide on a vision, aims and objectives." (Britland, in The Guardian, 2012). Perhaps the ultimate value of using mobile technologies is if its enhances the learning experience and enables students to record, collaborate with other learners and share recorded material to support applied projects, field trips and research assignments, these accomplishments are in themselves the rapid result, in contrast to more traditional learning approaches to recording data for instance, of a growing nation of independent learners ... so long as community educators its possible to dissuade learners from browsing facebook or texting incessantly, I concur that m-learning is a positive addition to the learner's toolkit!


References: 

Jean-Eric Pelet, E-Learning 2.0 Technologies and web applications in Higher Education, a volume in the Advances in Higher Education and Professional Development (AHEPD) book series. (Information science reference:(2013).

Jo Debens & Matt Britland, quoted by Hannah Gould in The Guardian, Tablets, laptops and mobiles in the classroom:top tips from teachers, 16th September, 2012, Retrieved 12/12/2013:>http://www.theguardian.com/teacher-network/2012/sep/16/tablets-laptops-mobile-in-classrooms-teachers-tips

Bubbl-us ... !

What a great little teaching aid this is!

Mind mapping and brainstorming as a solo or collaborative activity, for one.  As a teaching strategy that supports the wider key skills framework in Wales that involves the engagement of students in problem based learning, participation and collaboration with peer group members, this type of activity more than fulfills those criteria.

Where there are enough electronic web devices for each learner or pairs of learners (maybe even small groups too), the negotiation skills required in order to arrive at a collective choice of prioritized subject material will undoubtedly stretch the creative input and pro-activity of the learners. In view of the fact that students would be learning by doing, not only about developing content knowledge but also how to apply and adapt that knowledge within the transferable framework of 'information communications technology (ICT)' in order to motivate and inspire learners towards the practice of invention
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Since ICT in the current economic and education climate may be regarded as another of the 'key literacy skills', I as a practitioner working in partnership with other learners, recognize this as an additional opportunity to share the learning process, that both informs and reinforces the progression of each participant. So, reflective bubbl.us allows us to create mind maps, store and share our creations as tangible forms and as an exportable social media product.

This teaching aid, ultimately enables and empowers learners to take charge of the pace, structure, significance, adaptability and transferable value of their learning, as they grow more confident as independent learners.

Specifically, working with people who may already be disengaged with their communities, this useful tool could help the learner to create reasonable and achievable goal setting targets. For vulnerable groups, I envisage that this might work most effectively as a collaborative task since the task of sharing the learning is less demanding on students who may not have had a positive learning experience to date.

Hope you too find this short tutorial of some transferable value to your own teaching practice:

Blog Review on "Education as a Community of Practice" in the Post 16 Learning Sector

Teaching in the post compulsory sector challenges perhaps stereotypical ideas about how people learn most effectively. This notion is really born from the formative experiences within the education system that have shaped my understanding about a typical style of teaching that may or may not be conducive to the learning progression of its students.

The introduction of the United Nations Conventions on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) into mainstream education seems to have inextricably accelerated a catalyst of change to the way the power structures within educational 'institutions' have been evaluated and re-structured; to suit a more participatory learning approach.

The following blog article has ignited my interest in the subject of post compulsory education and the philosophy of learning inspired by its ongoing discourse.

Perhaps, from a practical point of view, at least how the approach as a post compulsory practitioner may be instrumental in the mobilization of people who have become disenfranchised within their communities. For some, this has been a result of a deterioration of interest in education, a disengagement from the structures of normalcy or ordinariness for the rest of the population who appear to remain motivated and inspired to participate and progress their economic and social contributions in society.

It might well be argued, as it is within the underpinning principles of the UNCRC that children are more likely to enrich their learning process if they are actively participating in the content of the subject matter. Traditional approaches identified by key thinkers, such as Paulo Freire had arrived at this understanding several decades ago and became the benefactor of a multitude of  fellow doctorates from various universities around the world.

It seems however, that the world of education might have been a bit slow in responding to the teaching strategies, that encourage, nurture and actively seek the challenging views to the established ideas of its learners. I think its moreover been duly recognized, as cited in the quote below that there is no real substitute for learning by doing in terms of increasing the participation levels, experiential learning, developing reflexive and problem solving skills, negotiating abilities and being an integral asset to the developmental shape of that learning progress.

"Rather it offers a form of learning through doing which is not just observing a task, but participating at the edges of a whole process – both absorbing and being absorbed by – the culture of practice. In this process understanding and practice are developed through simultaneous interaction. Thus learning becomes visualised as more like a journey through time, moving from the ‘legitimate periphery’ of a subject community to becoming a full ‘member’ of it." http://erevolution.jiscinvolve.org/wp/category/communities-of-practice/

The next critical aspect, briefly implied earlier, concerns itself with the applicability of these key learning skills to the world of business and commerce. How to make our 'producer good' (the students) competent and of high standards for the customers, who are referenced by the blog as David Donald from Glasgow Caledonian to mean the owners of businesses who offer the ultimate reward of 'employment.' Critically, upon this premise, developing a 'culture of practice' combining competitive academic research and best practice will help to further enable our learners to be a formidable task force.

This cycle of demand helps to inform and influence my short and long-term aspirations working within my local post 16 learning community. The 'culture of practice' I aim to facilitate therefore has to recognize that they are the workforce of tomorrow and its up to us as their mentors, to ensure that their learning experiences extend way beyond the confines of the subject material. Surely, in today's global economy the ability to think, create and shape our world has never been so imperative.

This JISC involve.org blog is a great resource for following some of the latest discussions about the evolving nature of education and its place in a demanding economic climate, especially pertinent to the post 16 education sector, my chosen area of working practice.

The blog in question can be accessed here:

http://erevolution.jiscinvolve.org/wp/



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Pinning 'High Hopes' on passion fueled Brian Crosby's Tedx Talk!

Well, as I went mining through the bottomless pit of blogs in blogger-land, one curiosity led me on a multiplex of pathways until eventually this article and You Tube clip sort of peaked my interest. I wondered 'could this be the kind of 'talk' I've been hacking the inter-web for? Was this Tedx Talk likely to be a revelation or more of a fragment of banal satisfaction ... still it might just suffice for now, I thought!

It appeared in the first 5 minutes more like the latter, however, as a few more minutes eeked their way forward, there was definitely a noticeable warming, on my part, to the originality and creative engagement of the students of Brian Crosby. He defines his teaching strategies as 'Passion based learning in action" or (PBL). Crosby's creative energies appeared innovative and engaging, so whilst he was working with a lively and enthusiastic group of year 4 students, the exploratory learning strategy he used really seemed to maximize participation in a multitude of ways.A lesson for us all in there somewhere, I concluded.

Crosby invited children to actively experiment with web 2 technologies, 'Smart' boards and perhaps even more interesting than that, (as a novice blogger myself), just how to connect and share interactive blog posts with fellow global citizens. 

Pinning 'High Hopes' was an ambitious and inspiring idea, that bore its creation in a collective class blog where individual aspirations to somewhat better their world, initially found its place in a local context. Crosby then taught the students how to capture the hearts and minds of children around the world ... enabling others to connect and make their voices heard.  

And so we see a worthy example of how social media and blogging technologies are transforming the social politics of nations, one person at a time, until such a time when the world might be duly recognized as the one 'global community' it is - binding citizens of the world through empathy and commonality.

Well the proof is in the 'clicking', it seems .... as more than half a million people have chosen to log-in to Crosby's PBL and thousands more responded in kind with their 'High Hopes' for the future ... that's mighty impressive considering the snail's pace of more traditional methods that sought to maximize its audience reach only a generation ago. Web 2 technologies and skillful blogging, if you know what you're doing has the potential (as I see it) to save people thousands on advertising and a capacity to create a nation of budding entrepreneurs ... but 'bloggers' beware of the 'Blog Snatchers'!

My 'High Hope' ... well it has to be for the enlightened world to keep up the hard work by advocating for the protection, provision and participation rights of all children everywhere.  

How would you define yours ..?

Hope you enjoy the seventeen and a bit minute clip, attached here: 

‘‘The world thanks you for sharing Nelson Mandela with us." Barack Obama said to the people of South Africa yesterday.

...and so say all of us!

Following the monumental event in Johannesburg yesterday that honored the passing of one of the most influential peace-makers of the 21st Century, I am inspired by the legacy in which this chosen son of South Africa, leaves for all the world to remember him in loving unison.

Nelson 'Madiba' Mandela's Long Walk to Freedom is a well documented journey charting the struggles for the emancipation of blacks living under the apartheid system for the best part of the last century, in South Africa. For his personal sacrifices and life long commitment to this cause, it invokes in me a sense that perhaps some people's lives are already determined, their time suspended and reserved to advocate an egalitarian, co-operative and tolerant philosophy, where moral necessity and racial justice are its governing principles.

Mandela, just as in life helped unite the world in racial equality and so in his death we join hands in the freedom of religion, in freedom of expression, in the freedom of opportunity, the freedom to an equal education, the freedom to represent your country in sport and the freedom of movement in one's homeland. Madiba's Long Walk to Freedom emancipated the rights to freedom not only for the people of South Africa but I think its only fair to say  that his example inspired a catalyst for racial justice and social responsibility right across the globe.

Waving the S. African flag for 'Ubuntu' here in Swansea. Looking after our communities equally is the responsibility of all of us, is it not and as global citizens living in a digitalized age, because we are able to bang the drum for world peace ... probably we all should.

"I am who I am because of who we all are." Desmond Tutu on the 'Ubuntu' philosophy.

Farewell Nelson Mandela, thank you for making the world a better place than you found it!

Beware of the Blog-Snatchers!

It seems that some people will go to extraordinary lengths just to prove their intellectual worth in this cut-throat, competitive market place where academic originality is a highly sought after commodity. There are unscrupulous punters out there who, allegedly, are able to dismiss any ordinary sense of moral etiquette, in spite of the laborious midnight hours you might have spent hunched over an insomniac laptop ...! A breaking report in The Guardian  warns the blogging population against the perils of sticky widgets on your blog posts!

I'm just saying, there may be merit in a little cautiousness, especially if you're on the verge of some scientific breakthrough or you think you might have figured out the mathematical formula to the meaning of life ... but seriously, think blog, think post, think ownership!

Found this article by The Guardian quite provocative ... your opinions always welcomed & valued.

http://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/blog/2013/dec/04/academic-blogging-newspaper-research-plagiarism