Sunday, February 28, 2010

KEY WORDS- Unit 1















Follow the link to see the wordle:

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CONNNECTIVISM, a theory for the 21st century

The Networked Students



This video shows how connectivism works to share information and how to create knowledge based on that information.

How to apply Connectivism in English language learning?

A good way to apply Connectivism in English language learning is creating blogs or e-portfolios in which the students can upload different activities for specific goals (for example writings, videos, and audio-recordings). Then, classmates might have access to those blogs or portfolios not only to comment on others’ works but also to peer-review and give feedback. Another possibility is the creation of a wiki, the tutor could propose a topic and each one of the students should complement the information with argued comments. In that way collaborative learning is having place and information is being connected.


What is connectivism?

A Theory developed by George Siemens to explain the effect that technology has had nowadays in the way we live, we learn and we communicate with others. In this theory learning is a process that takes place in a broad range of environments, that means, the knowledge can be outside of the human being control, for example, in data base or in a organization; in that way it is possible to actualize each time the actual stage of knowledge and when new information is acquired the last one becomes obsolete.

Some features of Connectivism:
• Learning and knowledge are in the diversity of opinions.
• Human beings are not the only ones who learn, knowledge can be out of them.
• It is more important to improve knowledge that the knowledge that already exist.
• Knowledge is a process of connection among different sources or nodes.
• To keep the continuous learning it is necessary to keep the connections.
• To take decisions is a way of learning. it is necessary to choose what to learn and how to learn.

References:
Siemes, G. (2004) Connectivism: A learning theory for the digital age. Retrieved online from http://www.elearnspace.org/Articles/connectivism.htm

A Vision of K-12 students today



Did you see this video? What do you think? Are you surprised? I do not think so!!
This is a video to show how the students are looking for challenges in which they have the possibility to develop higher level thinking skills. This is also an invitation for teachers to use technology in their classes in order to engage students and enhance the learning process.
Teachers sometimes do not realize that our world is changing too much and quickly because they used to teach traditionally and they have the idea of traditional education as the best way to keep students in values. But is it true? The answer is NO… technology is making the world different and we need to face that, finding the way to involve learners in their own learning process. Because of that, it is important to know learners’ interests and actual needs to face the world and the cyber-world. Are you ready to do so?
You cannot allow that everybody change and you cannot feel the same… as this song says:

The Relevance of Multiliteracies

The term multiliteracies refers to the different ways and/or channels in which people have the possibility to communicate nowadays, besides the way in which cultural, social and linguistic diversity is being increased due to the use of new technologies. According to Stevens (2005) multiliteracies creates a new kind of pedagogy where teachers (we) must explore new teaching practices (including technology) having in mind the cultural and linguistic diversity due to the globalized world. In that way, learners are involved in the multimodal ways to find knowledge (print, images, videos, combination of forms in digital contexts) thus, they are prepared for literacy challenges and they can display knowledge using the same tools in a complex way.

“Multiliteracies supplement traditional literacy pedagogy” (Stevens, 2005) it means that while traditional literacy was focused on the language, its rules and forms; multiliteracies allows learners to go beyond the language and thus it is possible to get broader cognitive, cultural and social effects. Multiliteracies involves the technology as an instrumental part for learning process, what means that teachers must become familiar with strategies and methodologies to apply a wide range of new technologies in order to enhance the learning environment.

On the other hand, multiliteracies challenges the teachers and learners to develop a variety of skills that allow them to be prepared for the 21st century which is influenced by advanced technological changes and requires that we implement (as teachers and learners) the work with multiple modalities of information and communication systems, those skills are related to the different kind of literacies that as teachers of the 21st century we have to involve in our practice, those literacies are:

1. Visual literacy: based on images, helps to develop learners’ critical and creative thinking (Bamford, 2003)
2. Media literacy: interactivity as strategy to the construction of meanings and use of media (technology) to develop technical abilities by experimenting (Daley, 2003)
3. Critical literacy: this is very important for learning because refers not only to the language but also to the worldviews and the social practices. Facing the world situation learners can find their own answers to develop competent skills to face the changing world (Lima, 2006).

Finally, it is important to mention that our responsibility as teachers is to create learning environments in which students can develop all the skills needed to be competent and creative people who are able to face the world with a critical point of view.

Now Please check This video... what do you think now?




References:
• Bamford, A. (2003). The visual Literacy White Paper. Adobe Systems. Retrieved from http://www.adobe.com/uk/education/pdf/adobe_visual_literacy_paper.pdf
• Daley, E. (2003). Expanding the concept of Literacy. Educause Review. . Retrieved from http://net. Educause.edu/it/library/pdf/erm0322.pdf
• Lima, C. (2006). A brief Introduction to Critical Literacy In English Language Education. British Council Brazil. Retrieved from http://www.criticallliteracy.org.uk/images/cleltbooklet.pdf
• The New Media Consortium (2005). A Global Imperative: The Report of the 21st Century Literacy Summit. Retrieved from http://www.nmc.org/pdf/Global_Imperative.pdf
• Stevens, V. (2006). Revisiting Multiliteracies in Collaborative Learning Environments: Impact on Teacher Professional Development. TESL-EJ 10, 2.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

A reflection after reading... Generation Net














Grown Up Digital How the Net Generation in Changing Your World By Don Tapscott (2009) is an interesting text in which we can find explanations about the different stages of technological advances.

Reading that book some ideas came to mi mind:
- Net Generation is changing our world opening new perspectives about the information management, communication is faster but less personal.
- Computers and internet are tools of learning and it is a must learn about them.

Possitive assumptions about the Net Generation:
- We can use complex technologies as a tool of communication.
- We can top into a world of knowledge.
- Good use of technology allows learning.
- Communication is faster, effecive but not always accurate.

Negative Assumptions:
- Less personalized ways of learn, play or communicate.
- Young people is dumber, they do nor read and are poor communicators.
- As people do not read they have low academic level.
- NO Social skills.

Monday, February 15, 2010

21st Century Educational Reality







The first thing that came to my mind checking this video is that we have to change our mind, we cannot take advantage of all the things and tools that we have now if we do not think about how to improve our strategies and methodologies to use them.It is important also to take into account that all the people must be prepared for the future, and be ready to the changes.
Besides it is clear i this video that interconnected world is making us more conscious about the differences among cultures and also about the inequalities that we can find around the world and that we can change if we are ready to take risks and if we are critical thinkers.

Do You Know 3.0



Answering the question of this video I can say:

It all means that:

Technology is surrounding us, and it runs more than people, each day we have more advanced technologies and it allows at the same time human evolution. However we must be conscious that any technology can replace human beings.

Teachers must be aware of the changes and challenges of 21st century, and they have to promote the evolution without forgetting principles and human values.

Technology is making us cyber-cytizens and we need to find the point of balance between spending time with people and spending time with machines. we can learn from both.

My expectations

I am really happy to be in this new course – New Learning Environment – which represents for me a very big challenge. It is too exciting to know that I will learn more things that contribute to my personal and professional improvement. I consider interesting this course because it involves too important aspects and really meaningful topics for educational context.

My experience with technology is very poor, and because of that I want to become more confident with that in order to implement more tools in my teaching experience. Taking into account that create New Learning Environments for children is very important for them to learn better, and that the responsibility of that is mine as the teacher, I have the next expectations for this course:

I hope to learn how to create different learning environments to apply in my teaching learning practice, involving in the practice learning interests and styles.
I want to know tools that help me to implement new learning strategies not only face to face but also virtual.
I really want to learn how to foster autonomy in preschoolers using new technological tools.
Finally, I hope to do my best!!!