On Monday I did a talk at a National Forum seminar at Athlone Institute of Technology. The theme was the flipped classroom. I focused on the concept of disruptive education and looked at this from four perspectives: the flipped classroom, opening up education, e-pedagogies, and Learning Design. In terms of the flipped classroom I argued that the concept was about ‘flipping’ from a traditional lecture-centric approach to one that was learner-centric and activity-centric. The idea is that learners watch videos in advance covering the key concepts, this frees the face-to-face classroom up for discussion and activities. I argued that the benefits were that this enabled the learning intervention to be more collaborative and problem-based. The diagram below illustrates the components that are associated with the flipped classroom, most importantly it is learner centric.  Opening up education has gained increasing interest in recent years, partly through the emergence of Open Educational Resources, but also more recently through Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). These are disruptive in that they are challenging existing business models for traditional educational institutions. In a world where resources and indeed courses are increasingly free, what is the role of a traditional institution, what are the benefits of learners paying for courses? I described the MOOC classification schema and argued that this could be used to describe, design and evaluate MOOCs. For e-pedagogies I described four examples of how technologies could be used to promote different pedagogical approaches. Finally, I argued that design is the key challenge facing education today, teachers need support to make informed design decisions that are pedagogically effective and make appropriate use of digital technologies. I introduced the 7Cs of Learning Design framework as one means of achieving this.  

For students to embrace the skills needed in a changing technology landscape, teachers must coordinate knowledge, instructional practices, and technologies to positively influence academic achievement. Source: www.edutopia.org See on Scoop.it - Educational News and Web Tools

Today’s consumers are digitally connected, socially networked and prefer to have gathered all the required information on the product that is to be purchased, before they even speak with your sales team. However, an intelligent consumer may approach your salesperson with a difficult question—one without an answer on your website, white paper, social media posts and so on. Is your staff adequately equipped to make that personal connection, provide a trustworthy experience for your prospective customer and tip the scale toward a win situation for your organization? Importance of Product Knowledge Product knowledge is the most important tool for closing sales. It instills faith, trust, and respect in the customer, which creates a positive customer experience. The importance of product knowledge represents itself the most in these situations: Answering Difficult Questions: Many customers will have answered just about every question on your product or service before they even call you. But, there are usually a couple questions which don’t have answers online, and normally they are difficult questions like: "I have read some mixed reviews on your customer service. Can you tell me what I can expect if I have problems down the road?" This is where product knowledge training is crucial. If your team is educated on these negative perceptions ahead of time and have prepared responses for them, the answer the customer receives will be very powerful and concise. If they are caught off guard, they might become defensive, stumble over their response, or completely ignore the question, which will result in all faith being lost with the customer because the one question they couldn’t find an answer for ahead of time, was answered insufficiently. Building Trust: Customers have to trust the product, company, and person they interact with before they make a purchase, and by now, you probably know that the person they interact with is weighed much more heavily than the other two sources. This makes it vital for your sales team to be seen as trustworthy sources of information. As mentioned earlier, customers enter conversations armed with information about your product. Imagine what it says to your customer if what they hear from the salesperson is not the same as what they have taken from your website or marketing releases. It eliminates all trust in not only the company, but also in the salesperson, because they don’t know who to believe. This makes it crucial that not only your sales team has enough product knowledge, but that they also have the most current product knowledge. Making Lasting Impressions: One of the reasons that customers are doing so much research on your products and services is that tremendous competition has driven consumers to believe that all products are similar. With such a small margin of difference in the product itself, companies are realizing that they can make up for the difference in other areas. One easy area that you can make a difference is in the buying experience, but it requires an in-depth knowledge of your product to do so. For example, a customer starts the conversation by asking about one product, but your salesperson recognizes that this customer is actually a better fit for a different product (or even an add-on product.) Your salesperson then proceeds to explain the reasons why, and in doing so, has now taught the customer something and shown that the salesperson has the customer’s best interest in mind. With so many "order takers" in the sales industry right now, this is sure to create a lasting impression. Benefits of Product Knowledge Knowledge is power and for your sales force, product knowledge can be the vehicle to increased sales. We have already discussed the reasons why product knowledge is important to your business, but the list below highlights the benefits of product knowledge—as they directly relate to your sale team. Strengthen Communication Skills - A thorough and wider understanding of a product enables a salesperson to use different techniques and methods of presenting a product to various types of customers. Stronger communication skills empower a salesperson to suitably adapt a sales presentation for greater impact. Boosts Enthusiasm - Armed with deep product knowledge, a display of enthusiasm and belief in the product may generate excitement among your customers and alleviate uncertainty about the solution that the product provides for the customer. Grows Confidence - If a customer isn’t fully committed to completing a sale, the difference may simply be the presence (or lack) of credibility or confidence a salesperson has towards the product. Becoming educated in the product and its uses will help cement that confidence. Assists in Overcoming Objections - Factual information gained from product knowledge, may be used to strike down objections voiced by customers. Solid knowledge about your product coupled with parallel information about similar products sold by your competitors—gives you that added advantage to easily counter objections. Product training with emphasis toward product knowledge will be more effective in helping you deliver customer experiences that "Wow" before your competitors do. In closing and to reiterate the importance of product knowledge, here’s a quote: An investment in knowledge pays the best interest. -Benjamin Franklin About the author: Brenda Fernandes is a content quality analyst with InfoPro Learning, Inc. With over 15 years of experience, Brenda is an avid learning strategist with content development, instructional design and business analysis as her core areas of expertise. Brenda is a keen practitioner of harnessing the power of learning content to impact employee performance. The post Product Knowledge Training appeared first on .

I am currently working on a chapter on the 7Cs of Learning Design, for a book that James Dalziel is editing. Today I have been working on the Consolidate C and in particular I have been writing about rubrics and checklists to evaluate the effectiveness of a design. Below is one example, comments welcome Are learning outcomes indicated? Do the learning outcomes use active verbs? Are there clear signposts for navigation and labelling (i.e. are there clear headings and is it easy for the participants to navigate around? Is the learning time associated with resources and activities indicated? Is the material logically structured and coherent (are terms explained, do sections follow each other?? Is there an appropriate mix of multimedia? Are videos kept to below 10 minutes? Is there a clear and logical learning pathway Is the way in which technologies are to be used made clear to the learners? Is the content coherent and logically structured? Are the pedagogical approaches explicit In what ways are communication and collaboration encouraged? Are all the materials accessible (variable fonts, suitable colours)? Do all the links work Are the activities consistent with the platform’s functionality (i.e. discussion forum, feedback mechanism)? Are the materials open (are there any technological access issues)? What pedagogical approaches are used? Are sections given clear timeframes How are activities monitored? Is there is clear minimum to complete and is there a clear learning timescale? What assessment elements are there?

A great Video Featuring the Future Classroom with future 3D Modelling and other future Graphic User Interface and display Technology. Technology in Education- A Future Classroom from Mr. Kirsch on Vimeo.  

Every now and then I think it is useful to reflect on the range of activities I do as part of my day job. Over the last couple of days I have been working on a number of things.   A chapter on the 7Cs of Learning Design, a draft of which I circulated via social media. I have already received a number of useful comments. Reading a thesis that I am examining next week. Reading a PhD upgrade report and writing the pre-via examiner’s report. A meeting with the medical school about their use of iPads. Evaluation of the MOOCs we ran as part of FutureLearn. An online meeting about a review we are doing of open accreditation process for non-formal and informal learning. A presentation to the VC on our research and teaching activities. An online meeting to discuss the EDEN research workshop and associated programme. Participating in social media. A blog post on an evaluation checklist for courses. So lots of writing and communicating; a mix of research-focused and teaching-related activities. It’s interesting also to reflect on one’s approaches to working on something. So I was dreading writing the 7Cs chapter and kept putting it off, but finally got my teeth into it and it was very satisfying to print out a copy this morning. 

Some years ago during my first stint at InfoPro Learning and while conducting an open lecture-cum-workshop at IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Kanpur, my co-presenter and I were pleasantly surprised at the level of awareness of the audience we were addressing. There were questions not just about the subject we covered but also on how it could be applied in different contexts. Participants also articulated some of the surmountable and insurmountable challenges for the subject we were dealing with. We came away not just with the satisfaction of having made our audience learn, but we were also injected with a few clear areas we had to think about, to develop our idea further. Looking back, I wondered about what was really happening during that session. Was it a case of a few students, having looked up the Web before they joined our session, generally playing smart? That was not possible because those students of Engineering and Technology of a reputed institution like IIT would not come and spend a couple of hours on something that they could satisfactorily learn over the Web. Were they trying to show us our place—that we were not the experts we thought we were? No, they had nothing against us since they didn’t know us at all and there was no reason for it. Was this session part of their program of study that they had to attend? Negative! So again, what was happening there? What it clearly demonstrates is that those who wish to learn are changing with the times. The educational theorists would reflect on what was at work there. But for an observer of how learning has evolved in the last 20 years, it wouldn’t be wide of the mark to say that learners, both adult and young, are more and more in control of their learning. They are motivated enough to figure out what they need to learn and expedite (or I should say search) where they can get the information for learning. What technology (Internet, Enterprise 2.0, and Social Computing etc.) has done is to make it easy for them to express themselves without inhibition and without any restriction (through a Wiki, Blog, Tweet etc.) They can organize their knowledge within their own social spaces, networks, and ecosystems. In addition, they can explore the reservoir of the world for information and knowledge as well as locate people who can guide them in real time or with their expressed ideas. It seems everyone who knows something is instantly putting their knowledge and insights into the public domain, to make it accessible for everyone else to explore. Does this pose a challenge for learning strategists and key people in the learning business? Well, it sure does. We must appreciate this change and analyze the advancements in technology in terms of modern tools of expression, organization, and discovery to be able to pitch our solutions correctly and successfully. We must ARISE to MODERNIZE! About the author: S M Nafay Kumail is Director—Learning Strategies at InfoPro Learning Inc. Nafay is co-author of ‘e-Learning an Expression of the Knowledge Economy’ (McGraw-Hill 2002) and a regular commentator on learning, knowledge management, and new media trends. The post Learning Strategists, ARISE to MODERNIZE! appeared first on .

I’ve just returned from a trip to Dublin, where I am visiting professor at Dublin City University (DCU), working with Mark Brown and his team. Mark is the director of the new National Institute for Digital Learning (NIDL). Yesterday was the launch of a new digital technologies initiative, called Connected. It is DCU’s new offering in terms of flexible and distance learning. It includes a new digital learning environment, called LOOP. The event was well attended with around 120 registered. The president of DCU, Professor Brian MacCraith opened the event and described how the initiative linked into the institutional mission, in terms of transforming lives and society, as well as national strategy. Mark Brown unveiled Connected and peppered his talk with three very powerful videos from DCU learners, explaining how DCU had literally transformed their lives.  Professor MacCraith said: Today’s announcement is much more than a brand launch - rather it is a public commitment by DCU to embrace the best of digital technologies to enhance the learner experience of students, both nationally and globally. Whether you live in Sligo, Seville or Shanghai, DCU Connected provides access to world-class online education, with international expertise and locally-relevant courses designed to meet your needs. Mark Brown stated that: DCU Connected is the evolution of our commitment to flexible learning but with a more contemporary and clearly international focus. I began my short talk by stating that these were interesting and challenging time for Higher Education and that digital technologies offered a plethora of ways in which learners could interact with rich multimedia and ways of communicating and collaborating with peers. I stated that there was a need to move beyond knowledge recall, to enabling learners to become critical thinkers and problem solvers. We need to equip learners to face a complex and dynamic future, where they will be doing jobs that do not even exist today. The new NIDL that Mark Brown directs is a vibrant and strong research centre, which will inform the development of the Connected initiative in the coming months. NIDL will be supported by an International Advisory Board of experts in the field. Connected is an important initiative not just for DCU, but for the whole of Ireland. I concluded with a couple of statistics, that demonstrate the timeliness of Connected. Tony Bates states that to meet the demands of future leaners we would need to build a brick and mortar institution every week. Clearly e-learning is the only solution. Finally, UNESCO state that more than 10 Million learners cannot afford formal education, Open Educational Resources (OER) and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs), offer a viable alternative for them.  I am looking forward very much to working with Mark and the NIDL team over the coming months in terms of developing this very exciting initiative.  The Irish Times reported on the launch yesterday, the link  can be found here. The new DCU Connected website will be available from Monday 11th August.

With so many changes underway in today’s fast-changing world, the Learning Management System (LMS) has become critical to organizations that are trying to keep employees current on everything from the latest technologies and regulatory requirements, to industry certifications, best practices, including job-specific and leadership skills. The evolution of LMS software is allowing more businesses to invest in and benefit from them. MarketsAndMarkets predicts the LMS market near $8 billion by 2018, with North America leading the marketplace in terms of revenue contribution. To gain market traction in today’s economy it’s essential to implement training programs that are strategically aligned with your organization’s business goals, resulting in a positive effect on your bottom line. By incorporating an LMS into your training program you can realize a measurable training ROI and immediate cost savings, but many companies are leaving money on the table by not fully utilizing the features of modern LMS platforms The top benefits to maximize ROI from integrating an LMS are highlighted below. Totally Mobile LMS Tagging Content Customize the LMS Robust Reporting An LMS will be truly "mobile" only if all functionality is available to both internal and external learners, instructors, managers, and training administrators. Highlighted below are checks and balances to make you aware of functionality that is not fully extended to mobile users on an LMS. You can gain access to LMS content through a browser on any device—but you must pan awkwardly, or the font size is too small for most people to read Mobile access is available for learners, but not administrators Smartphones are not supported but tablets are—with the version really designed for the desktop The LMS detects mobile users and serves content in a bare-bones interface with limited functionality Ideally, a mobile-enabled LMS allows learners to learn anytime, anywhere, on any device. That leaves no room for doubt that an LMS must be fully supported on all mobile devices to reap its total benefits. Appropriately tagging content in the LMS to make it easier to find, helps to dissolve content boundaries within an LMS. Additionally, the benefit of content tagging between LMSs and institutions empowers instructors to more easily share, discover, revise, remix, and reuse course content. Learning today has evolved as an ‘on-demand’ business. Appropriately tagging content so that it is easily found at the time when it is needed, will add value to the learner. Categorization of content with a flexible tagging system goes a long way to organize people, content, and courses. Customization gives you the ability to modify your LMS to perform specific functions and organize your information according to your unique requirements. Some administrative examples include granting or restricting user access, defining user roles and permissions, adding and maintaining custom user fields, designing user registrations tools, organizing users into groups and so on. In short, make use of customization options provided by your LMS to make the tasks which you perform regularly more accessible. Do not worry about "hiding" the more advanced features of your LMS because you probably only access them once a month, and spending an extra 30 seconds on these tasks are insignificant. A shameless plug—InfoPro built GnosisConnect LMS for companies which had difficulties finding an off-the-shelf platform and which can be customized enough to match their needs. You can learn more about GnosisConnect and through this blog, be informed that GnosisConnect can be customized 100% to match your unique learning paths. With the advent of big data and the growth in the importance of analytics, organizations are driven to provide in-depth reports. Data in the reports must reference the impact that training has had on their bottom line by compiling and correlating data from across the business to measure the true impact on business. Once the impact on business is proved, Learning and Development and the LMS will become a key resource for many in the business, significantly increasing the demands for training. Tapping the right reporting capabilities an LMS offers will provide the necessary data and analytics a company needs to prove the impact that the LMS has on the business—much more than just who has completed what training. Summarized thoughts: There are many more benefits. To put together a plan of action, consider the top benefits listed here and move on with your next steps to help you squeeze the revenue out of your existing LMS investment—a sure shot way to fire up your organization’s economic engine. About the author: Brenda Fernandes is a content quality analyst with InfoPro Learning, Inc. With over 15 years of experience, Brenda is an avid learning strategist with content development, instructional design and business analysis as her core areas of expertise. Brenda is a keen practitioner of harnessing the power of learning content to impact employee performance. The post Maximize ROI of Your LMS Investment Top Benefits of Learning Management Systems (LMS) appeared first on .

I am currently in Kuala Lumpur doing a keynote at the 5th International Personal Learning Environment (PLE) conference. The focus of my talk is on the notion of ‘PLE+’, i.e. I want to argue that we are entering a third phase of learning environments; the first are Virtual Learning Environments (where tools are provided by the institutional system, and where the teacher chooses which are used for their courses), the second are Personal Learning Environments (where learners create their own learning space, mixing and matching institutional tools with cloud-based tools). The third generation, PLE+, builds on this and relates to the impact of ‘The Internet of Things’, and  seamless learning across different contexts, surfaces and devices; in other words, learning across digital and physical spaces. I want to begin my talk by considering the notion of disruptive innovation, originally coined by Christensten: A disruptive innovation is an innovation that helps create a new market and value network, and eventually disrupts an existing market and value network (over a few years or decades), displacing an earlier technology. The term is used in business and technology literature to describe innovations that improve a product or service in ways that the market does not expect, typically first by designing for a different set of consumers in a new market and later by lowering prices in the existing market. For me there are four key facets of disruptive innovation: change, something new, unexpected, and changing mindsets. We have seen many examples of technologies that have been disruptive in the last thirty years or so; from the Internet, through mobile devices and more recently Open Educational Resources (OER) and Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs). But first I want to step back. I like using an ecological metaphor in terms of technology adoption, drawing in particular on the work of Gibson, on affordances. So technologies may have potential affordances or characteristics but these will only be realised in relation to a particular individual, we need time to appropriate the technology into our practice. And sometimes a technology is subverted and used in unexpected ways. Below is a picture of an iPad that I took at a hotel I was at last week in Uppsala, Sweden. The iPad is being used to control the juice machine, you click on the pick of the juice you want, and then again to stop when the glass is full. I am sure this is not a use that Apple had anticipated the iPad would be used for! Of course there are numerous reports, describing key emergent technologies and their potential impact on learning. The NMC Horizon reports, the OU UK’s Innovating Pedagogy reports, and the TED talks. I want to focus in on four examples: two videos on intelligent surfaces (‘A day made of glass’ and ‘Technology in education - a future classroom’), the concept of the ‘Internet of Things’ and a recent article on ‘The most connected man’. I want to allow space for the audience to discuss these and to consider to what extent they are innovative and/or disruptive, as well as thinking about their potential use in a learning context. I am then going to show Gartner’s most recent Hype cycle and point out that the Internet of Things is currently at the hype of the curve, whilst virtual reality is well down, and speech recognition software has reached the plateau stage. Focusing in on disruption in a learning context I will look at three examples: the flipped classroom, mobile learning and open learning. I will then introduce the concept of PLE+, beginning by listing the four things that are needed to facilitate learning: Guidance and Support Content and Activities Communication and Collaboration Reflection and Demonstration These can be achieved in a variety of ways of course and through different pedagogical approaches. The HoTEL project provides a nice visualisation of pedagogical approaches and their key features; so associative pedagogies are about stimulus and responses such as drill and practice, whereas constructivist pedagogies are about building on prior knowledge and are more task orientated. The below lists the key characteristics of VLEs, PLES, and PLE+s  VLEs: Institutionally owned, teacher controlled, digitally based PLEs: Mix of institutional and cloud-based, learner controlled, nebulous set of components, digitally based PLE+: Mix of institutional and cloud based, learner controlled, nebulous set of components, digitally and physically based. Finally, drawing on the work of Gibson, Pea, Perkins, Solomon, Wertsch and others, I list the following as what I think are the characteristics of a PLE+: Relates to concepts of distributed cognition and PersonPlus We leave learning trails Our learning  environment is culturally constructed We co-evolve with our environment Technologies have affordances Blurring of physical and digital I will finish by suggesting that we need new approaches to design to create effective PLE+ and will put forward the 7Cs of Learning Design as a means of achieving this.  Of particular note here is the fact that I argue that learners can use the tools associated with the 7Cs of Learning Design to create their own PLE+.    

The EdCampNov8 team just completed our first edcamp on Saturday, May 3rd. So much to process, so I’ll do it "stream-of-consciousness" style: I am always amazed at the transition from energy to matter, ideas to actions, the imperceptible to the incarnate. What began as a reverberation of airwaves emitted from Naomi Bates mouth months ago ended around 1pm on a Saturday in austere silence as the echoes, heavy with meaning and inspiration, of our edcamp dissipated. In the form of participants making their way back home, these echoes take on a shape, again, of conversations, evolving lessons, and exchanges of spirit all in the direction of serving students. A comment was made by a friend that it’s hard to imagine a 4 hour "PD Session" coming together with few hiccups that involved no predetermined schedule and hundreds of strangers whose common ground was seemingly non existent. That doubt or confusion is understandable! For a flurry of reasons, though, teachers and administrators DID show, share, and shine. The edcamp experience was a reminder of how powerful choice and self determination can be for, not just an education setting, but for a free people. When considering that we are preparing students to take the reigns of our republic, giving students a taste of that freedom before they are thrusters into their charge is a crucial need. Teachers have to be reminded at times that those PLCs, PDs, lesson plans, late nights grading, etc. are ultimately geared to this end. That taste of freedom, for adults, may be vanilla, but we have to remember what vanilla tasted like that very first time. Freedom and choice within the context of purpose…mmmmm. :) No doubt we’re all reflecting on the sessions and experience and will likely continue to do so. Personally, I was thrilled to meet old Twitter pals and make new pals in the process. As an EdCamp organizer, I didn’t get to attend any sessions and it killed me. However working with my fellow I.T. "Navy Seals" as we moved into this new territory was thrilling. Naomi Bates and I "headed" up the project, but there was so much teamwork that this sentence has little meaning. Kim Barker graciously hosted us on her campus. Karla Burkholder and Rory Peacock, our fearless leaders, gave us direction. Janet Corder was the "swag" coordinator as she pulled all kinds of string to populate our prize tables. Brittany Horn, Cara Carter, Ashley Chapman, Rene Egle, and Kirsten Wilson put legs to the plans and ran the show on Saturday.Filed under: In The Classroom

Thrasymachus:Truth! Originally posted on Sam's Reflections: There are a plethora of teacher resignation letters on the Internet; I refuse to link to any of them, but they follow the same format: "I love teaching, I love my students, but I don’t like X, so I’m out." When I read them, I feel heartbroken that a dedicated educator allowed himself or herself to be pushed out of the classroom. One large problem is that teaching can be isolating; in my favorite dedication letter (or anti-resignation letter), Principal John Wick encourages teachers to support each other. Personally, last year I was ready to walk away from education. Thank God I had a supportive group of educators to give me perspective. But in three weeks, I will no longer be a classroom teacher. I get my Masters in administration tomorrow, and yet I will be school-less. So why am I critical of quitters? Because leaving the classroom isn’t… View original 619 more wordsFiled under: In The Classroom

What is the biggest dream you have for yourself? Is it to travel the world? Is it to be the first person in your family to attend college? Or it is to get a big promotion at work or even start your own business? Source: mashable.com See on Scoop.it - InformationCommunication (ICT)

This afternoon I am doing an online talk to Ibiza. I am going to attempt to do it in Spanish. Here is the transcript and a link to the slides. Let’s hope my Spanish isn’t too bad and that the audience understand me! I must be mad! Gracias por la invitación . Voy a tratar de dar esta charla en español, pero algunos pueden estar en Inglés .  Soy irlandés , pero vivo en Inglaterra. Tengo un doctorado en Química y comencé a trabajar en e-learning hace más de twent años . Tengo dos hijas , tienen quince y diecinueve años. Soy un catedratica de aprender la innovación en la universidad de Leicester . Tres cosas sobre mí que no están en la internet . Odio las alturas , me encanta la pais Irán y no me gusta viajar. Los temas de mi charla son: ·      La creciente importancia de las tecnologías ·      Una línea de tiempo e-learning ·      Tecnologías Emergentes ·      Diseño de Aprendizaje ·      Recursos Educativos Abiertos ·      Cursos Enlinea Masivos Abiertos Así es que las tecnologías disruptivas o pedagogías ? Creo que es los dos . John Naughton en su libro enumera nueve características de Internet . Una es que disruptiva es una característica no una falla. Me gusta esta cita de Einstein . Tenemos que ir más allá de recordar el conocimiento , para permitir a los estudiantes a ser creativos , capaces de resolver problemas . Enlace de lista es un gran video corto por Ken Robinson , argumenta sistema educativo actual no está actualizado y tiene que ser cambiado radicalmente . Este corto video es un ejemplo de tecnología disruptiva . Superficies sin costura y trabajar a través de dispositivos . Es evidente que esto tiene un enorme potencial para el aprendizaje.  ¿Entonces por qué está aprendiendo e- importante? Creo que hay dos razones . En primer lugar para el aprendizaje.   ·      Apoyar la interacción , la comunicación y la colaboración ·      El desarrollo de habilidades de alfabetización digital ·      La promoción de diferentes enfoques pedagógicos ·      Fomentar la creatividad y la innovación ·      Para conectar a los estudiantes más allá de la clase formal    Y más en general para equipar a los estudiantes para la vida y el trabajo en un contexto cambiante dinámica.   ·      Para Preparar a los estudiantes para un futuro incierto ·      Para mejorar las oportunidades de empleabilidad ·      Debido a la importante función de la tecnología en la sociedad   Esta figura muestra una línea de tiempo de las intervenciones tecnológicas importantes de los últimos treinta años. Se inicia en los años ochenta con la aparición de herramientas para crear ricas , multimedia interactiva . La web surgió en el 93 , increíble pensar que es sólo 21 años de edad! No podríamos haber imaginado el impacto increíble la web tendría en nuestras vidas y nuestros hijos no pueden imaginar un mundo sin ella . Entonces el concepto de objetos de aprendizaje surgió la idea de crear un recurso y el intercambio y la reutilización . Sistemas de Gestión de Aprendizaje fueron importantes por dos razones . Las primeras instituciones tecnologías realizadas ya no eran innovaciones periféricas sino una parte fundamental del servicio que se ofrece a los estudiantes. En segundo lugar nos dieron un lugar seguro para los profesores para crear recursos y apoyar el aprendizaje en línea . La primera generación de dispositivos móviles era muy diferente de la pequeña y teléfonos inteligentes y las tablas de hoy . La investigación sobre Learning Design surgió a finales de los años noventa , la exploración de nuevos enfoques para apoyar a los maestros en su práctica de diseño . Tecnologías de juego llegaron después. Seguido por el concepto de los recursos educativos abiertos , promovido por organizaciones como la Fundación Hewlett y la UNESCO . Los medios sociales fue el siguiente, en la actualidad hay una variedad de maneras en las que los alumnos pueden comunicarse y colaborar con los demás. Los mundos virtuales eran populares a mediados de los años noventa , pero no son muy evidentes ahora . La segunda generación de dispositivos móviles eran más compacto y más elegante , e incluyó los libros electrónicos . Cursos en Línea Abiertas masivas son ahora una importante tecnología disruptiva , desafiando a los modelos de negocio educativos existentes . Por último , el más reciente tema de interés es ‘ Analytics ‘ de aprendizaje , la capacidad de utilizar los datos de los Sistemas de Gestión de Aprendizaje para entender mejor el aprendizaje del estudiante .   En cuanto a las tecnologías emergentes , los informes anuales Horizon el New Media Consortium son útiles en términos de lo que indica las tecnologías que pueden ser importantes para uno, tres y cinco años. En el plazo de un año enmarcar las listas de informe actual .  • En línea , híbrido y el aprendizaje colaborativo • El uso de los medios sociales en el aprendizaje  En tres años  • La sociedad creadora , por ejemplo 3D -printing • Los datos que apoyan el aprendizaje y es decir la evaluación analítica de aprendizaje  En cinco años  • Enfoques más ágiles para cambiar • Maneras de ayudar a hacer el aprendizaje en línea más natural y sin fisuras   La Universidad Abierta del Reino Unido tiene un informe anual denominado innovando pedagogía. En él se enumeran los diez cosas siguientes como importante   ·      MOOCs ·      Placas para el aprendizaje de acreditación ·      Analítica de Aprendizaje ·      El aprendizaje Seamless ·      Aprender con los demás ·      Repensar la publicación científica ·      Aprendizaje Geo ·      Juegos para el aprendizaje ·      Cultura Hacedor ·      Consulta Ciudadanía    A pesar del enorme potencial de las tecnologías para el aprendizaje , hay una serie de barreras . Por ejemplo : ·      Los maestros no tienen las alfabetizaciones digitales necesarias ·      No hay recompensas para la enseñanza ·      No es competencia de otros proveedores ·      La dificultad de la innovación de escala ·      ¿Cómo asegurar la inclusión social     Esta figura ilustra el cambio de la Web 1.0 a la Web 2.0 , desde una web staic pasivo a uno que es más interactiva y participativa . Las características incluyen:   ·      La capacidad de tener critiquing pares ·      El contenido generado por los usuarios ·      Prácticas Abiertas ·      Distribuido a través de herramientas y contextos ·      agregación colectiva ·      La capacidad de mezclar las herramientas y crear un entorno de aprendizaje personal    Este es un buen video que muestra las implicaciones de las redes sociales en nuestras vidas .   Esta diapositiva muestra cuatro enfoques pedagógicos .   ·      pedagogías asociativas dónde atención se centra en el individuo a través de la asociación y el refuerzo , los ejemplos incluyen e- formación y ejercicios y prácticas . ·      pedagogías constructivistas , donde la atención se centra en la construcción de los conocimientos previos , los ejemplos incluyen el aprendizaje basado en la indagación ·      pedagogías situacional donde la atención se centra en el aprendizaje en un contexto ya través del diálogo , los ejemplos incluyen juegos de rol y el aprendizaje a través de juegos ·      pedagogías conectivistas , donde la atención se centra en el aprendizaje en un contexto distribuido con otros , los ejemplos incluyen el aprendizaje reflexivo y dialógica .    Ahora quiero mirar a los cuatro tipos de pedagogías :   ·      Ejercicios y Prácticas ·      El aprendizaje basado en la indagación ·      Situado aprendizaje ·      El aprendizaje inmersivo   Esta diapositiva muestra cuatro Esta es una captura de pantalla de la herramienta de e - evaluación de la Open University , OpenMark . Es una herramienta muy sofisticada , los alumnos pueden conectarse con otros instrumentos , en este ejemplo una herramienta de dibujo química y obtener retroalimentación detallada.  También hay muchas aplicaciones muy buenas para el aprendizaje . Por ejemplo , aquí hay un ejemplo para el aprendizaje de idiomas . Aquí se hace clic en la imagen de una manzana y la rana come. El segundo ejemplo es el de mejorar las habilidades de escucha . El tercero es un completo diccionario Inglés - Español .  Dos ejemplos para el aprendizaje basado en la indagación . Mike Sharples y Eileen Scanlon tenían un proyecto llamado mensaje personal , que utiliza las tecnologías para el aprendizaje basado en la investigación para la Ciencia . Doug Clow desarrolló una herramienta, llamada iSpot , para aumentar la comprensión pública de la ciencia .  El proyecto de investigación Personal desarrolló una herramienta llamada nQuire , lo hicieron una revisión de la literatura sobre el aprendizaje basado en la investigación y desarrolló este marco para las etapas de la investigación. Esto se ha incrustado en una herramienta en un dispositivo inteligente. Aquí están las fotos de los estudiantes que usan el dispositivo para llevar a cabo una investigación.  iSpot es un sitio para subir el avistamiento de flora y fauna . Ayuda a aumentar la comprensión de la gente de la Ciencia , pero los datos es utilizada por los científicos reales a una mejor comprensión de la ecología cambiante del Reino Unido .   Hay muchos ejemplos del uso de los mundos virtuales para apoyar el aprendizaje situado. Por ejemplo un juego de roles en la medicina , exposiciones de arte virtuales y apoyar el aprendizaje de idiomas . Esta aplicación proporciona traducción instantánea , texto y auditiva , entre dos lenguas .  Por último , en términos de aprendizaje de inmersión , google tiene una herramienta llamada Google inmersión. Traduce parte del texto de una página en un idioma diferente. Si pasa el ratón sobre el texto cambiará entre las dos lenguas . Así que aquí estoy leyendo sobre MOOCs , pero mejorando indirectamente mi vocabulario español .  Es evidente que existe un enorme potencial para las tecnologías de apoyo al aprendizaje . Las redes sociales ofrecen una variedad de formas en las que los alumnos pueden comunicarse y colaborar . Hay muchos recursos gratuitos y cursos . Sin embargo las tecnologías no están siendo plenamente explotados y hay un montón de ejemplos de mala pedagogía. Los maestros dicen que no tienen tiempo y no tienen las habilidades de alfabetización digital necesarias .  Un grupo de nosotros hemos estado trabajando en una nueva área de investigación , diseño de aprendizaje , que tiene como objetivo hacer frente a esto y ayudar a los maestros a tomar decisiones de diseño más informadas basadas pedagógicamente y hacer un uso adecuado de las tecnologías . Recientemente hemos publicado el documento " La ‘ Declaración de Larnaca en Learning Design ", que describe nuestro enfoque .  He desarrollado los 7Cs de marco Learning Design , que tiene una serie de recursos y actividades para apoyar el diseño . Se inicia con la Conceptualizar C , se trata de crear una visión para el curso . El siguiente es el C C Crear que se trata de articular lo que se crearán recursos (como texto , audio y vídeo) y los recursos libres se utilizará . Los dos siguientes son Cs sobre el fomento de la comunicación y la colaboración . El Considere C se trata de promover la reflexión y ayudar a los alumnos demuestran cómo se han alcanzado los resultados de aprendizaje , es decir, es el elemento de evaluación. El Combine C mira todo el diseño desde diferentes perspectivas , por ejemplo, mirando cómo los estudiantes de tiempo mucho más están gastando en diferentes tipos de actividades . Por último , la Consolidar C se trata de poner el diseño en un contexto de aprendizaje de la vida real y evaluar su eficacia .   Un ejemplo de un recurso asociado con la Conceptualizar C es la actividad Características del curso . Este consiste en un paquete de cartas , que describen los siguientes aspectos del curso :  Los tipos de enfoques pedagógicos Los principios de alto nivel Las formas de orientación y apoyo La naturaleza de los contenidos y actividades que los alumnos harán Los tipos de reflexión y demostración ¿Y cómo se facilita la comunicación y la colaboración.  Esto muestra el perfil acitivty que es un reource bajo el Combine C. Los tipos de actividades que el estudiante lo hacen son :  De asimilación : leer, escuchar o ver El manejo de la información, tales como la manipulación de datos en una hoja de cálculo La comunicación , por ejemplo en un foro Producción , por ejemplo la creación de un compuesto químico o un modelo arquitectónico Experiencial de aprendizaje , por ejemplo, ejercicios y prácticas o trabajos basados ??en Adaptación , por ejemplo, el modelado o simulación Evaluación  La herramienta puede ser utilizada para indicar la cantidad de tiempo que los estudiantes pasan en cada uno de estos. También puede ser utilizado por los alumnos . Aprendí español hace unos cinco años en línea , los cursos fueron excelentes , buenos recursos - libros y DVDs , pero no había suficiente en la práctica de hablar, y hablar es mi habilidad más débil . Así que hay una relación directa entre las actividades que hacen los estudiantes y su aprendizaje .  La etapa final es el guión gráfico . Esto muestra las listas de las semanas y los temas a continuación, la parte superior . A la izquierda se muestran los resultados del aprendizaje. En el medio están las actividades de los estudiantes lo hacen. Por encima de estos son los recursos que se dedican a . Por ejemplo, en la semana uno que ven un video y leer un documento. A continuación se enumeran las cosas que crean. Así que en la semana uno , escriben un ensayo. En la segunda semana , escriben un blog , en las últimas semanas que hacen una presentación en grupo y escribir un diario de reflexión sobre su aprendizaje . Bajo esta es la evaluación . En la semana uno del profesor proporciona retroalimentación formativa en el ensayo. En la semana dos, compañeros proporcionan comentarios sobre la entrada en el blog . Por último, el profesor proporciona retroalimentación sumativa en la presentación del grupo y el diario reflexivo . La parte final es asegurarse de que se cumplen todos los resultados de aprendizaje .  Esta es una foto de un guión gráfico producido durante un taller .   En el METIS proyecto financiado por la UE , hemos creado una herramienta de diseño de aprendizaje en línea llamado ILDE ( Learning Design Marco Integrado ) , que se puede utilizar para crear un diseño e implementarlo en un Sistema de Gestión del Aprendizaje . Este es un breve vídeo sobre ILDE en español .  Ahora quiero mirar a los REA y MOOCs . Ahora es más de diez años desde que surgió el concepto de REA . Promovido por organizaciones como la Fundación Hewlett y la UNESCO , con la visión de que la educación es un derecho humano fundamental y debe ser libre. En la actualidad hay cientos de depósitos de REA y un montón de instituciones tienen presencia en iTunesU . El New York Times afirmó que el 2012 fue el año de la MOOC .  A pesar del potencial , los REA no se ha utilizado ampliamente . En El proyecto OPAL miramos más de sesenta iniciativas OER y derivamos un conjunto de prácticas en torno a la creación y el uso de los REA . Hemos producido el MetroMap OPAL , que ayuda a las partes interesadas ( responsables políticos , líderes institucionales , docentes y alumnos ) para crear una visión para su uso de REA y un plan de implementación .  En un proyecto relacionado , POERUP , hemos documentado más de 300 iniciativas de REA y hicimos una serie de informes detallados por países y tres informes de política .  MOOCs surgieron en 2008 , con la Connectivst Conocimiento MOOC por Siemens y otros. Hay una bonita evaluación de este por Fini . En la actualidad hay muchos consorcios MOOC , incluyendo edx , Udacity y más recientemente FutureLearn y Open2Study . Hay un bonito video en MOOCs por Dave Cormiers . Una serie de enlaces útiles sobre MOOCs incluye : una lista de MOOCs , la serie de blogs EFQUEL en MOOCs y calidad y, finalmente, la lista de los artículos ICDE MOOC .  Sin embargo , el valor de MOOCs se impugna En el lado positivo , que son gratuitas , y tienen el potencial para apoyar la inclusión social. Permiten a los participantes a ser parte de una comunidad global distribuida . En el lado negativo , hay muy altas tasas de abandono y muchos argumentan que se trata de aprender los ingresos no los resultados del aprendizaje y que MOOCs son sólo un ejercicio de marketing . Hay un bonito video de un debate sobre los pros y los contras de MOOCs , desde la conferencia ASCILITE .   Creo que el concepto de xMOOCs (basados ??en el aprendizaje Didáctico indivual) y cMOOCs (basados ??en conectivista aprender con otros) es demasiado simple. He desarrollado una taxonomía para describir MOOCs. Se compone de doce dimensiones. Los tres primeros tienen que ver con el contexto, el grado de apertura del MOOC es, cuán grande y cuán diversos son los alumnos. Los otros nueve dimensiones tienen que ver con el aprendizaje. ¿Qué es multimedia incluyen, cómo se anima a la comunicación, la colaboración y la reflexión. ¿Qué tipo de itinerario de aprendizaje se proporciona? ¿Qué formas de control de calidad están allí. Si hay alguna certificación o enlace en la educación formal. Y, finalmente, la cantidad de la autonomía del alumno. Esto también se puede utilizar para diseñar y evaluar MOOCs.     Entonces, ¿cuál es el futuro de la educación? MOOCs son sin duda un ejemplo de una tecnología de punta, que está desafiando a las instituciones educativas tradicionales y sus modelos de negocio. Necesitamos nuevos enfoques pedagógicos a utilizar realmente los beneficios de las tecnologías. Finalmente creo que estamos viendo una desagregación de la educación. En el aprendiz futuro no pueden hacerlo grados completos, pero puede pagar por:   • Los recursos de alta calidad • itinerarios de aprendizaje guiadas • Alguna forma de apoyo • Acreditación   Gracias por su atención, espero que haya encontrado esto útil. Si usted está interesado en esto y quiere saber más Tengo un libro sobre diseño del aprendizaje y actualmente estoy escribiendo un segundo, lo que tendrá un montón de ejemplos prácticos de diseños para apoyar diferentes enfoques pedagógicos. Más información también está disponible en SlideShare, y mi blog.

The Greatness of #CatBread After our TCEA presentation in Austin, back in February, we received a few requests for tutorials one how to make Aurasma perform certain actions.  One of the more popular ones was making a "Sphere" pop out into an aura. Follow the "Thrasymachus" channel on Aurasma and view the following aura. :) To see how I did this, watch the following video. Filed under: In The Classroom, Technology Tagged: app smash, app smashing, ar, augmented reality, augmented reality app, aurasma, classroom tech, classroom technology, ed tech, edtech, education technology, iPad, iPhone, panoramic, sphere, sphere app, teacher technology

I am doing a keynote this afternoon at the elene2learn conference in Barcelona. The programme can be found here. I will focus on the notion of disruptive education and will argue that teachers and learners need new digital literacies to harness the potential of technologies. I have mapped the nine elene2learn competencies to the digital literacies described by Jenkins et al. The elene2learn ‘How to guide’ outlines the nine competencies and includes over 40 case studies of the use of technology for learning, in each case providing a map of which competencies are developed and which technologies are used. Well worth a read. 

I received this email a while back.  It was a powerful statement and has inspired me to care even more for my students than I did before I read it.  I’ve held on to it privately, but thought it might also inspire others in the field. This is also why I advocate students to take "tough" classes in HS as opposed to waiting for college to challenge themselves. So I don’t get in the way of this message, I’ll simply  say I was blown away by this email from a mom who both loves her son and "gets it".  I think we witnessed each others struggle in the exchange that came afterwords. Mr. Cooper, As a parent of a former (and current) student, I wanted to express my appreciation of the responsibility and consequences you are teaching your students.  My son, xxxxxxx, had you for government last fall  (as a senior taking a dual credit college course) and had a less than desirable outcome.  By him making a "D", he was unable to transfer the credit and disqualified him from taking an additional 6 hours in the Spring.  Knowing his receiving 12 hours prior to high school graduation was now non-existent was hard for us and him to swallow. Although I was disappointed at the situation (loss of $$ and time), I believe it was the best "shot in the arm" you could have given him.  Should he had taken advantage of his resources (such as coming to you or asking someone to look at his paper), the outcome may have been different.  As a parent, you can only talk about how to study, when to study, what happens if you don’t; but we are dealing with kids who think they have all the answers and "everything is fine" mentality.  It is when they live through the experience and walked in "the shoes" that they realize mom and pop have been there and they know what they are talking about! Today, Xxxxxx is a freshman at Xxxxxx in Xxxxx, getting his basics before he heads off to Xxxxxxx.  Based on his experience in your class, I truly believe he is doing better than if you had "given" him the "C".  The experience in your class made him realize that nothing is handed and everything is earned.   He is going to tutorials, having his papers looked at by his aunt (who is editor of a small town newspaper!), and has even been on the helping side of a classmate who was having difficulty in math.  He is still learning the process but he is headed in right direction and I have you to thank. In addition, I believe his experience has trickled down to Xxxxx who witnessed the outcomes of Xxxxxx’s shortcomings and think she is a better student because of it.  I am encouraged she will finish more positively in your class!   Thanks, Xxxxxx    Filed under: In The Classroom

What’s the buzz, tell me what’s a-happening? Do you care to know? Well, it’s from Flash to the future with HTML5!! What is HTML5? HTML5 is the fifth major revision of the Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), the core language of the Web. It is a non-proprietary and open source, free for all to use. Though the language is primarily created for web pages, it is increasingly relevant to eLearning courses, as most often they operate through web browsers, providing a rich user experience. The advance in technology from Flash to HTML5 paved the way for Content Modernization - transforming old content to new delivery formats to create a more dynamic learning experience for today’s workforce. 3 Key reasons to move your eLearning content to HTML5 1. BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) a rising trend It is normal for a person to switch between 2-4 devices throughout the day, and Gartner predicts that by 2017, fifty percent of employers will require employees to supply their own device for work purposes. With this BYOD environment growing, it opens up an enourmous delivery medium challenge for L&D professionals because they must develop solutions which can work on virtually any device. By developing courses in HTML5, this gives learners the option to view the courses across any device, unlike native application development, which only works on a single operating system. Not only does this make course management simple, it is also much more economical. 2. Unlock Investment in Legacy Courses Legacy learning courses that were built using technologies other than HTML5 seem to be a deadlock investment today, because they do not provide the desired output on mobile devices. There is a growing demand by employees for learning solutions to work on their favorite mobile devices. This demand has given a boost to Content Modernization; specifically converting Flash content to HTML5, where companies can save thousands of dollars by merely updating the technology layer in their courses, instead of creating brand new courses from scratch. 3. New Investment in Courses HTML5 is the technology to invest in for newer courses because it is mobile friendly and lets you accomplish things that were previously impossible. All the latest browsers have incorporated this technology because much more is now achievable in a browser through HTML5 versus HTML4, Flash, and other antiquated technology. This technology enables learning courses to be peppered with informal/ social learning elements that are far more desirable amongst the workforce of today. Also, the current trend with the use of HTML5, is the delivery of manageable bites of content for various mobile devices in mLearning, which divides what would be an hour of dedicated WBT, into 4-5 learning sessions which can be taken throughout the day. As the years go by, the line between business and personal is blurring. The use of mobile devices is increasing and becoming more mainstream. Users are expecting to get information anywhere, anytime, and expect it to be fast. In this environment where users reach for their mobile devices before laptops, you should be driving your team to be thinking "HTML5 first", while slowly phasing out your older technology. About the author: Brenda Fernandes is a content quality analyst with InfoPro Learning, Inc. With over 15 years of experience, Brenda is an avid learning strategist with content development, instructional design and business analysis as her core areas of expertise. Brenda is a keen practitioner of harnessing the power of learning content to impact employee performance. Follow me on Twitter @BrendaMEF The post HTML5: What’s the buzz? appeared first on .

Source: ukedchat.com Agreed! Never thought I would use twitter, but as an educator and participating in twitter chats I have learned a lot!! See on Scoop.it - InformationCommunication (ICT)

Monday 20th October sees the launch of the EMM MOOC platform (see http://project.europeanmoocs.eu/first-european-multilingual-moocs-go-live-sign-up-now/). The EU-funded EMMA project aims to: showcase excellence in innovative teaching methodologies and learning approaches through the large-scale piloting of MOOCs on different subjects. EMMA will provide a system for the delivery of free, open, online courses in multiple languages from different European universities to help preserve Europe’s rich cultural, educational and linguistic heritage and to promote real cross-cultural and multi-lingual learning. EMMA will operate in two main modes; as an aggregator and hosting system of courses produced by European universities; and as a system that enables learners to construct their own courses using units from MOOCs as building blocks. The EMMA team are taking a deliberate multi-lingual, multi-cultural approach to learning by offering inbuilt translation and transcription services for courses hosted on the platform. Ten difference MOOCs are being launched (see http://platform.europeanmoocs.eu/courses.php), with topics as diverse as Climate change and pedagogies. The MOOCs are typically between six and eight weeks long, with about 3 -4 hours of learning required each week. The MOOCs contain content and videos, as well as guided activities and the opportunity to communicate with other MOOC participants via forums and blogs. The MOOCs consist of core and extension materials and a clear indication of the amount of time needed to complete each section is given. The University of Leicester is launching two eight-week MOOCs on Monday 20th October: Technology-Enhanced Learning and Learning Design. I am very excited to be part of this project and I am looking forward to participating in the two MOOCs we are offering. So if you haven’t already signed up, do it now!

When I first came to the United States from Costa Rica in 1980 I was intimidated by everything I saw.  Especially here in Texas, everything seemed bigger and better than what I had experienced in San Jose.  It was, to put it simply, "Big Time".  I was excited to be a part of it and eventually grew into my responsibilities and assumed my duties as an American and a Texan.  Every few years, my family and I would go back to Costa Rica…back home. Costa Rica will always be a part of who I am and I wouldn’t have it any other way, but the promise and permeation of freedom found here in the U.S. allowed me to become who I was meant to be.  I was blessed with the responsibility of coloring and texturing the cloth that would become my small piece of our grand American tapestry. Fast forward 30 some odd years… What So Proudly We Hail flew me and several other instructors from across the country to Washington D.C. the summer of 2013.  We were brought together as a temporary think tank to game plan how best to attract, develop and maintain good American Citizens. The three day event was singular for me.  Heading the group were Amy and Leon Kass.  Amy Kass was a product of the University of Chicago, a storied institution in the world of humanities, and a fellow seeker of wisdom and virtue.  Talking to her over the three days was like conversing with an affable and witty library.  She was mesmerizing in everything she recounted.  Leon Kass wrote a book that absolutely inspired my intellectual life: The Beginning of Wisdom.  In it the Old Testament is put under a philosophical lens in search of examples of virtue and wisdom (as an aside, I don’t think it is unrelated that Plato once wrote  "Wisdom begins in wonder" and The Bible states "Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom"…after all, wonder and fear are similar reflections of the experience of "awe").  I was completely in awe of this couple and their immense depth as individuals and as a couple. Cheryl Miller, a fellow University of Dallas graduate, was our guide and pulled the event together.  She was the contact person for everything related to the What So Proudly We Hail (@WSPWH) event to the dozens of annoying D.C. touristy questions from yours truly. Over a very formal dinner that I think exposed my pedestrian DNA, I was blessed to have  met instructors from Colorado, Illinois, California, and Texas that harbored the same concerns I had for the future of this country.  As public school push digital citizenship and global world views, these same schools often take for granted or are ignorant of the requirements needed to solidify what it means to be an American.  Even if the question of what an American might be is open for discussion, one must be able to discuss it intelligently and with some roots in the various answers offered by our past and present opinion leaders.  The answer may be a patchwork answer, but the patterns and hems should be recognized for their contributions. It’s a bit ironic (or maybe "patchwork" proper) that an outsider like me was in charge of teaching natural born citizens the greatness of their own country.  That greatness can be found in this nation’s successful and incomplete responses to those eternal problems that hound every civilization: the search for Justice, Goodness, Truth, and allocation of power among many others. For whatever reason, What So Proudly We Hail asked me to put together a lesson on one of several topics.  The Declaration of Independence and Federalist X immediately came to mind.  One addresses the source and form of our basic human rights and (esoterically) why denying human rights is such a travesty and the other addresses the best way to begin to secure those rights in a nation of free men pulled simultaneously in the directions of reason and passion. Federalist X tugged at me a little more in this situation.  It’s a beautiful essay charged with hints of passion and a great dose of logic.  The essay exposes the enemies of any free people and features Publius’ famous, not solution, but redoubt or fortification against those enemies. No scientist, statesman or philosopher has found a way to address the permanent problems of man mainly because man is that half beast, half god that is a puzzle to himself.  Grouping men together into nations only diffuses the boundaries of these permanent problems to the point where those who don’t pay attention begin to think that solutions have been found.  Revisiting the original struggles of those on the front lines is helpful. Here is the lesson on the WSPWH site. The lesson claims that it is "by" me.  It was a wonderful collaboration with Cheryl Miller at @WSPWH, the Kasses, and myself.Filed under: Government/Civics, In The Classroom, Political Philosophy Tagged: American Founders, amy kass, Charles Cooper, cheryl miller, civics, costa rica, federalis x, federalist 10, federalist papers, Founders, government, immigrant, leon kass, lesson plan, social studies, thrasymachus, what so proudly we hail, wspwh

Technology has revolutionized education, but asking how it can improve learning may be the wrong question. Source: www.forbes.com See on Scoop.it - InformationCommunication (ICT)

This is a special guest post by associate professor Carl Reidsema from the University of Queensland. Nice work Carl! The Day the US President Dropped in on the World’s Largest Flipped Classroom at the University of Queensland for the G20  There’s certainly a lot of hype and interest in what the world’s most powerful man, Barack Obama, gets up to. Whether you love him or not, what he has to say and where he goes are all keenly followed. So imagine my surprise when I find out that he’s going to be paying a visit to my classroom at The University of Queensland while he’s here for the G20 in Brisbane, Australia! So what, you say? Presidents drop into classrooms all the time because education is as vital as health, defence, business and the rest of his many portfolios. Well, in this case the classroom that the President of the United States of America is visiting happens to be a space big enough to hold 2000 people bleacher-style but for 20 weeks of the year, I and my co-teaching academic colleague along with 3 of our most talented teaching assistants use it as an active teaching space for 1200 first year student engineers at 600 students an hour in what is arguably the "World’s Largest Flipped Classroom". There have been decades of unmet global demand to produce graduate engineers who can work well and communicate in teams with internationally diverse peers and respond creatively yet rationally to complex socio-technical problems. We create these graduates by providing our students with opportunities to engage in hands-on authentic design problems requiring fundamental knowledge and skills in both engineering and high tech simulation software tools. Beginning in 2010 with a year in planning and supported by industry partners ABB and Boeing Australia as well as the government Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT) and Royal Australian Navy (RAN), UQ Engineering runs an intensely challenging course with absolutely no lectures as a Flipped Classroom.  Here students do their lectures online before coming to campus to collaboratively do their ‘homework’ in full hands-on mode facilitated by experts in professional practice.