Things You Really Need to Learn Guy Kawasaki last week wrote an item describing 'ten things you should learn this school year' in which readers were advised to learn how to write five sentence emails, create powerpoint slides, and survive boring meetings. It was, to my view, advice on how to be a business toady. My view is that people are worth more than that, that pleasing your boss should be the least of your concerns, and that genuine learning means something more than how to succeed in a business environment. But what should you learn? Here, then, is my list. 1. The most common utterance at the scene of a disaster is, "I never thought..." The prediction of consequences is part science, part mathematics, and part visualization. The danger in such situations is focusing on what you want to happen rather than what might happen instead. This is where the math and science come in. People don't think ahead. 2. The four major types of writing are: description, argument, explanation and definition. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.
Locus of Control Explanations > Preferences > Locus of Control Internal | External | So what? Locus of Control as a principle was originated by Julian Rotter in 1954. Note that, like other preferences, this is a spectrum. Internal People with a high internal locus of control believe in their own ability to control themselves and influence the world around them. Rotter (1990) describes the internal locus of control as: 'the degree to which persons expect that a reinforcement or an outcome of their behavior is contingent on their own behavior or personal characteristics' Their belief in their ability to change things may well make them more confident and they will hence seek information that will help them influence people and situations. They are more likely to have expectancy shifts, where a sequence of similar events are expected to have different outcomes. A downside of an internal locus of control is that, in accepting responsibility, the person has to also accept blame for failures. External Stability
Social Development Theory (Vygotsky) Summary: Social Development Theory argues that social interaction precedes development; consciousness and cognition are the end product of socialization and social behavior. Originator: Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934). Key terms: Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD), More Knowledgeable Other (MKO) Vygotsky’s Social Development Theory Vygotsky’s Social Development Theory is the work of Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky (1896-1934), who lived during Russian Revolution. Vygotsky’s theory is one of the foundations of constructivism. Major themes: Social interaction plays a fundamental role in the process of cognitive development. Vygotsky focused on the connections between people and the sociocultural context in which they act and interact in shared experiences (Crawford, 1996). Applications of the Vygotsky’s Social Development Theory Many schools have traditionally held a transmissionist or instructionist model in which a teacher or lecturer ‘transmits’ information to students. Luis C.
How to Write Articles and Essays Quickly and Expertly Translations: Belorussian Introduction: Four Types of Discursive Writing From time to time people express amazement at how I can get so much done. I, of course, aware of the many hours I have idled away doing nothing, demur. Begin by writing - in your head, at least - your second paragraph (that would be the one you just read, above). But how do you write this paragraph? You have more options because there are four types of discursive writing. These are your choices of types of article or essay: Argument: convinces someone of something Explanation: tells why something happened instead of something else Definition: states what a word or concept means Description: identifies properties or qualities of things An argument is a collection of sentences (known formally as 'propositions') intended to convince the reader that something is he case. An explanation tells the reader why something is the case. A definition identifies the meaning of some word, phrase or concept. Organizing Your Writing
Constructivism | online learning insights The Web as a classroom is transforming how people learn, is driving the need for new pedagogy; two recently launched courses at Coursera highlight what happens when pedagogical methods fail to adapt. Divided pedagogy I wrote recently about the Fundamentals of Online: Education [FOE] the Coursera course that was suspended after its first week and is now in MOOC hibernation mode. Over thirty thousands students signed up for the course hoping to learn how to develop an online course. It was a technical malfunction when students were directed to sign-up for groups through a Google Doc that shuttered the course, along with hundreds of student complaints about lack of clear instructions, and poor lecture quality. The course was suspended on February 2, and there has been no word yet as to when it will resume :(. The Tale of the Two What made e-Learning and Digital Cultures successful and FOE not? Our current higher education system is grounded in behaviorist and cognitive theories. References
Balancing the Two Faces of E-Portfolios Printable version of this paper (PDF - 2 MB) Helen C. Barrett Figure 1. Balancing the Two Faces of E-Portfolios Learning Objectives After completing this chapter, you should be able to: · Explain the two major purposes for developing e-portfolios in education · Outline how to balance both process and product to enhance learner engagement with the e-portfolio process · Understand how students’ experiences with social networking can contribute to their engagement with e-portfolio development · Understand the role of intrinsic motivation in the e-portfolio development process · Outline a developmental process to implement e-portfolios through three levels: 1. 2. 3. This chapter focuses on these two major purposes for developing e-portfolios, and how to balance both approaches to enhance learner engagement with the e-portfolio process. U. Technology also gives students opportunities for taking ownership of their learning. Later in the publication, in the section on Assessment: Why E-Portfolios?
Connectivism as Epistemology Responding to questions from Vance McPherson 1) What is your response to Rita Kop's suggestion that connectivism is a new epistemology but not a new learning theory? As I understand Rita, she understands the pedagogical aspects of connectivism to have already been present in constructivism, and hence, connectivism is not proposing something new when it comes to giving guidance to instructional staff. Connectivism is *definitively* a learning theory, or more accurately, incorporates learning theories (specifically, theories about how connections are formed in networks). But all of that said, whether connectivism is a *new* theory of epistemology or pedagogy is irrelevant to me and I don't spend any time worrying about it. 2) My understanding of connectivism is currently as both epistemology and learning theory, which presupposes that it has ALWAYS been correct and is not contingent upon modern technological developments to "work." Other aspects of the theory change over time. 3) M.
Cultivating Communities of Practice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge - Seven Principles for Cultivating Communities of Practice In a new book, Cultivating Communities of Practice: A Guide to Managing Knowledge, the authors offer a practical guide to making knowledge work inside an organization. In this excerpt, the authors detail seven design principles for cultivating communities, everything from "design for evolution" to "combine familiarly and excitement." by Etienne Wenger, Richard McDermott, and William M. Snyder Seven principles for cultivating communities of practice In Silicon Valley, a community of circuit designers meets for a lively debate about the merits of two different designs developed by one of the participants. Because communities of practice are voluntary, what makes them successful over time is their ability to generate enough excitement, relevance, and value to attract and engage members. How do you design for aliveness? Design for evolution. 1. The dynamic nature of communities is key to their evolution. 2. 3. A large portion of community members are peripheral and rarely participate. 4.