Here is a link directly to my wiki on wikis...Please add to my list of favorite wiki sites! Check out the links to interesting Wikipedia stories from the radio.
Wiki Wiki
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Using Online Mind Map Tools
I just completed my 21st Century Learning Mind Map, which I have posted below. I am really hoping that you can read it, when you click on it. This was only my second time using mindmapping software (although I generally love to take notes using mindmaps on paper). I never used Cmap or FreeMind before.
I started off using Cmap, but actually found it kind of difficult to use. I could not figure out how to add sister nodes (or lists easily) and the process became a bit cumbersome. I ended up spending too much time trying to learn the tool and could not concentrate on the reading. I switched to FreeMind and found that it was much more intuitive for me. The only two slight frustrations for me was not being able to maneuver the child nodes and it took me a while to figure out how to edit.
All and all this was a very good assignment for me. I will continue to work on this skill so that I can do it faster, and will probably incorporate into future training classes.
I started off using Cmap, but actually found it kind of difficult to use. I could not figure out how to add sister nodes (or lists easily) and the process became a bit cumbersome. I ended up spending too much time trying to learn the tool and could not concentrate on the reading. I switched to FreeMind and found that it was much more intuitive for me. The only two slight frustrations for me was not being able to maneuver the child nodes and it took me a while to figure out how to edit.
All and all this was a very good assignment for me. I will continue to work on this skill so that I can do it faster, and will probably incorporate into future training classes.
Class Reflections #5 - September 25
During our September 25 class, we had a remote lecture from Dr. Curt Bonk of Indiana University. I was really impressed by the seamless lecture, and the technology that allowed us to interact in real time with Dr. Bonk. The fact that our instructor had to operate a camera, PowerPoint, lecture all at once, really emphasized the need for instructors to be up-to-date on technological tools to get their content to the audiences who really want and need it.
A few fascinating items from the lecture: I really liked the example that Dr. Bonk gave about the lecture that he was giving, where the audience quicly grew from 10 to 100s (or 1000s) of people in minutes because of the use of several key technologies. I think that really summed up his points about leveraging the tools to create accessibility for more people.
We also touched upon gaming and about whether society would be able to turn away from "shoot em up" types of games. This topic was really interesting to me, as it has been something that I was thinking about as I started this program. I don't really like playing video games myself, but when I saw a friend playing Grand Theft Auto IV recently, I have to admit that I was struck with the enormous potential for learning with this type of technology. With changes in storylines, just think how we could use this technology to teach fundamental social, economic and problem-solving skills.
Another point in the lecture that I am still thinking about was the future example regarding students having more choices regarding how and who they will receive learning from. Dr. Bonk gave the example, of the student selecting their lesson from various teachers on various screens. Will there be too many choices? How will students learn how to make these decisions?
The lecture centered around exponential growth in technology, through electonic books, cheaper computers, more and more tools, but at the same time, how can we grow in this way without addressing energy concerns in an exponential way. Eventually we need a tipping point where where alternative energy sources grow exponentially, or I think these worlds will collide.
All and all it was a fascinating lecture, and I really appreciated that we could have this kind of remote lecture.
A few fascinating items from the lecture: I really liked the example that Dr. Bonk gave about the lecture that he was giving, where the audience quicly grew from 10 to 100s (or 1000s) of people in minutes because of the use of several key technologies. I think that really summed up his points about leveraging the tools to create accessibility for more people.
We also touched upon gaming and about whether society would be able to turn away from "shoot em up" types of games. This topic was really interesting to me, as it has been something that I was thinking about as I started this program. I don't really like playing video games myself, but when I saw a friend playing Grand Theft Auto IV recently, I have to admit that I was struck with the enormous potential for learning with this type of technology. With changes in storylines, just think how we could use this technology to teach fundamental social, economic and problem-solving skills.
Another point in the lecture that I am still thinking about was the future example regarding students having more choices regarding how and who they will receive learning from. Dr. Bonk gave the example, of the student selecting their lesson from various teachers on various screens. Will there be too many choices? How will students learn how to make these decisions?
The lecture centered around exponential growth in technology, through electonic books, cheaper computers, more and more tools, but at the same time, how can we grow in this way without addressing energy concerns in an exponential way. Eventually we need a tipping point where where alternative energy sources grow exponentially, or I think these worlds will collide.
All and all it was a fascinating lecture, and I really appreciated that we could have this kind of remote lecture.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Flat Classroom Project: Outsourcing
I looked at the global outsourcing project part of the Flatworld Classroom Project.
From reviewing the instructions and videos created in this project, I think one of the main objectives of the project was to learn the concepts from Daniel Pinks book, specifically: Design and Innovation, Story and Emphathy and the Fun Factor. By producting a video that portrayed one of these concepts, the students utilized the digital storytelling technologies for their individual projects and the wiki technology for their collaborative writing and planning effort. The learning that took place on this project may have been the use of the a new web 2.0 tool, as well as the review and tie in of the Daniel Pink concepts. From looking over the videos, I did not get the feeling that students had spent that much time researching or analyzing their topics. It felt like more time may have been spent working on the actual video production. Most of the stories had little depth, beyond stating global observations and opinion. I do think that there may have been some learning in contrasting all the different stories on a single topic. It was quite interesting to have students from a variety of countries talking on similar topics, particularly about the effect of outsourcing. This topic is generally one that people see from their own perspective. I particularly thought it was interesting to see the girl attending and American school in China and how outsourcing had affected her personally, as well as the the other countries that were involved in providing the products of her everyday life. It was a very interesting contrast to the American girl, who might see much of their outsourcing coming from China. The juxtaposition of the two written opinion pieces from two American girls, one living in China and one in America was intersting. More in depth pieces and reactions from the team members would have been really interesting.
From reviewing the instructions and videos created in this project, I think one of the main objectives of the project was to learn the concepts from Daniel Pinks book, specifically: Design and Innovation, Story and Emphathy and the Fun Factor. By producting a video that portrayed one of these concepts, the students utilized the digital storytelling technologies for their individual projects and the wiki technology for their collaborative writing and planning effort. The learning that took place on this project may have been the use of the a new web 2.0 tool, as well as the review and tie in of the Daniel Pink concepts. From looking over the videos, I did not get the feeling that students had spent that much time researching or analyzing their topics. It felt like more time may have been spent working on the actual video production. Most of the stories had little depth, beyond stating global observations and opinion. I do think that there may have been some learning in contrasting all the different stories on a single topic. It was quite interesting to have students from a variety of countries talking on similar topics, particularly about the effect of outsourcing. This topic is generally one that people see from their own perspective. I particularly thought it was interesting to see the girl attending and American school in China and how outsourcing had affected her personally, as well as the the other countries that were involved in providing the products of her everyday life. It was a very interesting contrast to the American girl, who might see much of their outsourcing coming from China. The juxtaposition of the two written opinion pieces from two American girls, one living in China and one in America was intersting. More in depth pieces and reactions from the team members would have been really interesting.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Blogs vs. Wikis
A blog puts one person at its center, the author. A blog can be a electronic diary, a place to critique things, or even a place to practice journalism. The idea behind a blog is that the author has control of the content, and the author has control over who reads it, by either creating public or private settings. In general, blogs are controlled or managed by one person, and may take reader feedback by way of comments or feedback on surveys etc. While more sophisticated blogs can be arranged in a variety of ways, blog entries generally appear sequentionally.
The wiki can also be centered around one author, who has control of the content and security settings. The author may use the wiki to arrange information on different pages and folders. When compared to a blog, wikis create more choices for organizing content. In addition wikis are more collaborative then blogs, generally having multiple authors and the general philopsohy that information will constantly improve, because of this collaborative effort.
The wiki can also be centered around one author, who has control of the content and security settings. The author may use the wiki to arrange information on different pages and folders. When compared to a blog, wikis create more choices for organizing content. In addition wikis are more collaborative then blogs, generally having multiple authors and the general philopsohy that information will constantly improve, because of this collaborative effort.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Emerging Technologies: Growing Up With Google
In this article, "Growing Up with Google - What it means to education", author Diana G. Oblinger describes the values of the net generation and contrasts then against the values of older generations. Net generation students, born after 1982 - see the internet and Web 2.0 technology as an organization tool, which helps them to manage their relationships and lives. They value getting their information fast, and place a high value on convenience, collaboration and creation, preferring experential learning to book and lecture style learning. Due to the expansion of multimedia options, the Net Generation is accustomed to visual learning.
While the article describes the general values of the Net Generation, it also warns against making assumptions or "sterotyping" the generation, warning that not all Netters have an equal level of comfort with all technology tools or even a equal desire to incorporate technology into their learning. Furthermore, skills and equipment vary widely.
The author concludes (and I agree) in suggesting that educators need to help students to confront ethical and privacy issues that arise from the fast paced use of the internet, and continue to emphasize the basics such a critical thinking and information analysis. In other words, while the tools may change, and the values of the student align with the new systems, it is the teacher's job to find new ways to help students make decisions around age old ethical issues.
While the article describes the general values of the Net Generation, it also warns against making assumptions or "sterotyping" the generation, warning that not all Netters have an equal level of comfort with all technology tools or even a equal desire to incorporate technology into their learning. Furthermore, skills and equipment vary widely.
The author concludes (and I agree) in suggesting that educators need to help students to confront ethical and privacy issues that arise from the fast paced use of the internet, and continue to emphasize the basics such a critical thinking and information analysis. In other words, while the tools may change, and the values of the student align with the new systems, it is the teacher's job to find new ways to help students make decisions around age old ethical issues.
Reflections on September 18 Class
My understanding on how to use wikis was further strengthened by our guest speaker's examples. While I was thinking of using a wiki for collaborative work, I had not thought of it as a way to organize personal information (which is why I had some difficulty with the wiki assignment.) After seeing the examples, I tried using a new wiki site and started doing an experimental wiki for work, to organize some reference materials that I would like to share cross-departmentally. This class was quite inspiring for me.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
I am loving Common Craft videos!
The Common Craft videos are genius. What a great example of how Web 2.0 technologies can be used as a teaching tool! In my head, I am writing these short, instructional videos on a multitude of subjects. Last week at work I had to teach supervisors how to do performance planning in a four hour time period. After viewing the common craft videos, all I could think about was how I could get it down to a three minutes with some quick visuals. Maybe this could be a great way to follow up to classroom training.
Emerging Technologies
This week's article was an extension on the articles we have been reading about connectivism, but the article explored how specific technologies are currently changing the learning environment, by placing high value on collaboration, design and invention. The article also focused on the role of the instructor in the world of emerging technologies. The point was made that the role of the instructor would evolve from a lecture mode into a role of the facilitator, "placing the instructor alongside the students instead of in front of the classroom" as learners take more control over creating their own content.
I found this article to be more of the perspective I was searching while reading and discussing last week's assignments on connectivism, since it really delved into the need for the instructor to guide collaborative learning by providing structure, editing and other guidelines. This week, I read further about the "Net Generation" and how they view learning and communication, and I realized that while many of the values of this generation are evolving, the principles are unchanged. Teachers still need to create ways to reach people with different learning styles and different levels of technological knowledge. Educators must help students develop ethics to deal with issues with intellectual property rights, plagarism, and privacy etc. Educators must help students to develop core skills in critical thinking and analytical writing. These are the core skills and issues that teachers always had to deal with, however the context is changing fast.
I found this article to be more of the perspective I was searching while reading and discussing last week's assignments on connectivism, since it really delved into the need for the instructor to guide collaborative learning by providing structure, editing and other guidelines. This week, I read further about the "Net Generation" and how they view learning and communication, and I realized that while many of the values of this generation are evolving, the principles are unchanged. Teachers still need to create ways to reach people with different learning styles and different levels of technological knowledge. Educators must help students develop ethics to deal with issues with intellectual property rights, plagarism, and privacy etc. Educators must help students to develop core skills in critical thinking and analytical writing. These are the core skills and issues that teachers always had to deal with, however the context is changing fast.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Class Reflections #3 - September 11
In class I brought up my concerns about connectivist theory and how it would influence education and the style of instruction. I felt concerned that if students write and learn in short snippets and quick research on the web, that they would be missing out on the "basics" of developing in depth writing and analytical skills. Someone in class had a great response, reminding me that it is a combination of learning theories that need to be used and not just one. That said, as a student, I felt more comfortable in class tonight, as I feel I have been struggling a bit with embracing a new learning style myself, of listening and participating in lecture and being linked to the Internet, etc. at the same time. The addition of the class agenda was really helpful to me, because I was able to follow along very well. I also really enjoyed all the presentations, because I felt like I got a more in depth look at some of the web 2.0 tools that had previously quickly passed me by. I also liked the in class blogging assignment. I have really enjoyed blogging and making comments already, but the activity reminded me to keep things concise and brief (a struggle for me.)
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Connectivism and Siemens Part 2
In George Siemens article from the 2006 global summit, he outlines his definition of his connectivist theory. He calls it chaotic, continual, complex. He also says that "no single entity can know all the required elements". When I first read Siemens last week, I was struggling with the role of the instructor in this world, and I started to feel that in the connectivist world, maybe the role of the instructor or trainer would be diminished, but after reading further about this theory, I feel the opposite is true. Now more than ever, I think it will be important for the instructors to help their students make sense of the "messy chaotic" world. It will be their role to continue to help students analyze, organize, and make sense of all the content that is available. Perhaps now more than ever the "basic" skills will be important.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Connectivism
Many of the points that George Siemen's makes in his article regarding organizational learning rang true to me. The principles of connectivism such as: "Learning and knowledge rests in diversity of opinion" and "Nuturing and maintaining connections is needed to facilitate continual learning" are key points that I have been thinking, as I have been brainstorming ways that web tools could be used in organizational learning.
For example, as I was discussing wikis with a colleague this week, he considered that one way to use a wiki would be as a change management tool; a way for change targets (those responsible or implementing a change) to communicate back to the change initiators (generally the high level managers), allowing for continous feedback and improvement during all stages of a change process. Organizations who do not catch on to this concept are doomed to be less competitive with products, services and retaining staff. I am also preoccupied with the idea of figuring out a way for the trainers in my organization to break out of their departmental silos by working on connections between the trainersthrough use of how-to wikis and online trainer networks, as Siemens noted "...knowledge rests in diversity of opinion" and we can't get the diversity if we don't connect the trainer nodes.
What About My Generation?
During our September 4 class, I have to admit that I bounced back in fourth in my mind between total excitement about trying these tools in my own classroom, and verging on frustration with my own ability to use the tools while I was a student in the classroom. Listening to lecture while on my laptop: taking notes, clicking from site to site, and referencing ilearn was a stretch for me. During my last graduate school experience (over 8 years ago), while about 50% of the students clicked away on their laptops, I rarely brought a laptop to class, much preferring to take nicely outlined notes, or draw a mind map while listening to the lecture. At that time there wasn't even an option to link up to the wireless Internet. Using Web 2.0 tools allow us to multi-task, and to quickly link to new topics of interest. For me this seems such a great way to do individual learning, but for me the stretch is taking this to the classroom. My current work project is developing a class on managing generations in the workplace. I can't help but think about how this newer style of classroom learning will work for people of varying generational biases and learning style preferences. I am thinking about how to make this bridge for myself, and for the people that I might be training in the future.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Paradigm Shift: Open Space Online
I have come a long way this week. A reluctant online networker, I joined Facebook and Linked-In this summer to get ready for school and explore life from a Gen Y perspective. I even started a blog, but didn't do much posting. I have to admit, I was hooked by Facebook, but I was still not seeing the educational or the business purpose, but this week, after joining ilearn, starting my blog, and viewing the wiki video, I think I felt my paradigm shift.
Long frustrated by the silo mentality of City government, I am starting to thinking about a few applications. Trainers across the City meet formally only once a year for an open space forum, where we bring up topics that we want to discuss. The open space forum is basically a well organized free-for-all. Those who have a topic may lead. Those who want to join a discussion can. Those who want to, can float from discussion to discussion. Those who want to carry on discussion or work after the forum, may do so. The right people who are supposed to be there are there. Does this sound familiar?
Last year, I led a topic re: my concerns about the need for a forum that could work on a continuing basis. Some people were interested, but no one was committed. And truthfully, I had no solutions. How about this for a solution? Open space online? I like it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
