DV for Teachers

Miles Berry :: Weblog :: Coming of Age – an introduction to the new world wide web

The book is a great introduction for teachers to some of the ways that Web 2.0 technology can be used in schools, particularly as a way of supporting social, collaborative learning, and a more personalised curriculum in which learners have more opportunity for ‘voice’ as well as choice’.

Again via Stephen Downes, a guide from real-world educators making good use of these new technologies.

The 2 May edition of Stephen Downes’ OLDaily has too many great items to discuss here individually, beyond a brief list. Please do yourself a favor and go check these links, and read more on his site. He’s among the most thoughtful and relentless bloggers about the impact of technology on learning. He looks at so much more than the quantifiable numerical outcome; he works hard at including the quality of the education, and the quality of the person being educated, and continually questions the assumption of what it means to be “educated” in the first place. Make him a regular for your online reading.

With no further ado, from his 2 May edition:

• the importance of “informal learning” with regard to MySpace and other shared-user-content sites, and the opportunities they present for educators vs. the closed models of most learning management systems
• a related item about using MySpace and/or Facebook: “We always talk about how we can use new technologies in learning, when we should be talking about how to provide learning in new technologies.”
• A link to Andy Carvin’s new blog for PBS Online; formerly of the Digital Divide Network, Carvin will be working to guide educators “guide educators through the ins and outs of what’s often referred to as ‘Web 2.0,’ including blogging, podcasting, vlogging, RSS, social software and community networks.”

• a wiki guide to “Podcasting On the Cheap” in education from Alan Levine

Digital Booktalk

I’m linking here to do two things: show Dr. Elliott and Dr. Daily about Digital Booktalks, and to show them how easy it is to use a blog for teaching.

They’re cute – and this one about viruses is correct , but disingenuous. A handful of potentially serious vulnerabilities have cropped up in the last few months – potentially serious. They were properly reported to Apple several months ago, and there are no reports of outbreaks, but Apple has issued no fixes for these yet. Despite some strongly worded criticism, for the moment I believe thatcautious concern and awareness are called for. I know much more about end-user multimedia applications than operating systems, so I encourage you to do your own reading and come to your own conclusions. Add to that persistent requests that Apple do the right thing and help us keep the doors locked.