Making Connections
Take a look at this short video. So I saw this video on Twitter yesterday (thanks to Alec Couros and Steve Ransom). It really spoke to me. Connections are so important. Watch the video again and look at the different emotions on the faces of the folks. Now take the idea of connecting and turn it virtual. The point is social networking is less about networking and more about social. Twitter isn't the only way that happens. The point is, we can't go through our professional careers alone. So take a risk like the folks in the video. Go out and hug the bear.
Collection of eLearning Tools | A&H: Technology Enhanced Learning
Learning is becoming: dynamic, real-time, social, mobile, local, fluid, peer to peer, gamified. The future will require more resilience. “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read or write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn and relearn.” – Alvin Toffler. Teachers are filters for the current information tsunami. “The problem is not really information overload, but filter failure.” – Clay Shirky. Tools like the ones below are redefining the relationships between us and data/information, teachers and learners, work and play and enabling the re-imagination of education as interactive / online / accessible / ubiquitous. Over 2,000 tools for learning and working in education and the workplace LINK20 Must-Have Educational Resources For All Teachers LINKScreenr web-based screen recorder LINKSculptris is a 3D sculpting software LINK12 Tech Tools That Will Transform The Way You Teach!
Dear Email, it’s over: A breakup letter for the Digital Age
Dear Email, We made it through the holidays together, but I think we both know that our relationship just isn’t working. As hard as this is to say—it’s over—we have to break up. First let me just say, E, I will always have feelings for you, and you know you’ll always have a special place in my heart. It was such an exciting time. Once I graduated, you even helped me get my first job. Then things started to change between us. Also—and I know I said I forgave you for this—but remember the time you sent me that really bad virus and I lost everything on my computer? These days, at work and at home, you’ve become really hard to control. There are some things about you I can never change. Although you’re not harming trees, you’re costly in other ways. You should also know that I become involved with someone new. I know this is painful for you. I wish you all the best. Sincerely, Andrea A version of this letter first appeared on the author’s blog Brie Moon.
STEM 4 Kids
The social capital of accreditation in higher education (#change11)
[Image retrieved from 25 January 2012] Following from this week’s post “The selfish giant and the unlocking of the gates of higher education” and the discussions that followed from it; I realised that there is more to the issue of accreditation than is often on the table (whether a banquet table at one of the elite universities, or a kitchen table in a far-off place of which the World Bank and those responsible for university rankings have not heard of). This discussion arises from discussions around the “Unlocking the gates”. How and why leading universities are opening access to their courses”, one of the readings in this week’s MOOC. I don’t dispute that some open courseware experiences and moocs are on the same and often higher standard than accredited courses at higher education institutions. So why does accreditation (still) matter to thousands of students registering for accredited courses and programmes? Like this:
NETS- collaboration and communication
The A-Z Dictionary of Educational Twitter Hashtags
Whether you’re a new or seasoned Twitter user, you likely come across confusing hashtags that probably look like a bunch of nonsense. First, What’s A Hashtag? The # symbol, called a hashtag, is used to mark keyword or topic in a Tweet. For example, the popular #edchat hashtag is used by thousands of users every Tuesday. How To Hide Your Hashtag Chat From Followers When having a Twitter #hashtag chat, if you want to avoid overwhelming your followers, start any tweet you want to “hide” with @HideChat or (one character shorter) @HideTag . You don’t need to do this with all your chat tweets (though you could). Sources That’s why it’s probably helpful for you to check out the following list of popular educational hashtags. The Most Popular Hashtags #edchat – Education, worldwide (lots of US teachers). Technology #edtech – a very wide range of tweets relating to the use of technology in education. Subject Specific Specific Areas / Roles The Full List of (Nearly) All Educational Hashtags
Society and Higher Education Part 5
[This piece repeats some of what an earlier one said, but is revised and with a diffferent follow up and ending] A commodity is a relatively inexpensive, widely available product or service. After an initial period in which goods and services are expensive and owned by only a few, modern technologies usually drive them to become commodities. Computers, HD televisions, and cell phones are current examples. Because commodities are the source of stiff price competition and low profit margins, companies often attempt to market their products and services as “special” in some way and not just as commodities. Only thereby can they can charge more and earn more profit, Today most college degrees are commodities. It is true, of course, that colleges and universities can and do distinguish themselves by size and status. Until recently, there were basically two types of colleges: inexpensive low status colleges and expensive high status ones. Old style commodity colleges will be caught in a bind.
