The Ultimate Open Courseware Toolset: 60+ Directories, Search En. Open courseware has expanded to the extent that directories, lists, search engines, archives and Web tools are available free to anyone who chooses to learn through the Internet. The following list contains some individual tools, but on the whole, this list is filled with links to sites and pages that offer more links to even more resources. So, if you’re looking for an open source tool to create a video, go under “tools” below to find two links to sites filled with open source software resources. All links under the categories below are listed in alphabetical order. This alphabetical method of organization also shows that we do not value open courseware project over another.
Directories The following directories have done the work for you, discovering various open courseware projects from around the world or that are focused on one specific area of study. Search Engines and Archives Search engines provide a means to find open courseware easily. Web Tools Did you enjoy this article? Unblocking Social Networking Sites. In Why Facebook is Unblocked at ISB from The Thinking Stick, Jeff Utecht shares an email from his department sent to a parent who was concerned about Facebook being unblocked at his school.
Near the end of the email, it states, “These sites have emerged as social areas that form a major significant part of many of our student’s lives. This socialization is near as important to this generation as face to face time with their friends and they maintain friendships beyond ISB to include international students from schools around the world. At this point we feel that by simply blocking these sites, we as a school would be missing an opportunity to educate students about how to use them appropriately…If students cannot manage their time on computers productively at school, then they would certainly not be able to at home. Blocking access has not proven to be effective in teaching students to use a tool effectively and wisely.” I think part of the desire to block is fear of the unknown.
Indigenous Studies Portal :: Teaching. Login / Register Search for: Limit to: OR Limit to open access (resources available to all) Home | About | New Links | Favourites | UofS Authors | Maps | Tutorials | Suggest a Site | News & Events | Contact. New MacArthur Study: Must Read for Educators. So here is the money quote from the just released study from the MacArthur Foundation titled “Living and Learning with New Media: Summary of Findings from the Digital Youth Project” (pdf): New media allow for a degree of freedom and autonomy for youth that is less apparent in classroom setting. Youth respect one another’s authority online, and they are often more motivated to learn from peers than from adults. Their efforts are also largely self-directed, and the outcome emerges through exploration, in contrast to classroom learning that is oriented toward set, predefined goals.
I would take a few thousand words to unpack just that paragraph in terms of what the implications are for schools, and if we read that without some sense of both fear and excitement, I just don’t think we’re paying attention. And please, send your administrators and IT folks this message in 42-point bold type: Social and recreational new media use as a site of learning. New role for education? What do you think?