Open Education

Wow, I just finished listening to the Open Education presentation.  Based on the title that was not what I was expecting.  It talked about the actual sharing of knowledge.  Not the transfer of information but the actual willingness to allow someone else in to freely take part in and use the information that you may have compiled.  It was a real eye opener as the presenter continued to speak I could see the real implications new technology will have on this area.  In the past it was fairly easy to limit the amount of information one shared however, with the growth of technology and the texting youth of today this no longer a concept left to the originator of the information.  As soon as the information is generated depending on the form it may be immediately shared with thousands.   

Social Networks

As an instructor how close is too close?  Some people look at Facebook and other social networks as just that social.  But, the harsh reality is that the world is changing and as people become more tech savvy so are their methods of communication.  The days of meeting up at the library or someone’s home for late night study groups are thing of the past.   As educators we have one of two choices embrace the changes or get left behind. 

For those that feel some aspects of your life should not remain separate.  I suggest you do just that create a separate life for your social (personal) networks and another for your professional networks.  Because, weather you like it or not your tech savvy students and associates are going to find you.  So instead of attempting to avoid the unavoidable use the technology to educate and provided valuable information to your professional networks.  And create a separate profile for your personal networks.  It may seem like a little extra work but it will afford you the privacy you desire.

Web 2.0 Technology In Education

All I can say is love it!  It is amazing the way new technology allows teachers to use old teaching concepts and reproduce them in a method that will engage a new generation of learners.   Things like blogs, wikis and YouTube are the equivalent to those things we did in class with the “fun teacher” that we all had.  Not the teacher that said read this and answer this worksheet.  But, the teacher that spent a third of her pay cheek finding fun and interesting ways to make learning fun and reach as many students as possible.

The only draw back to the introduction of these technologies into our classrooms is accessibility.  As educators we must be careful to be sure that if we are going to introduce the technologies into our courses as methods of assignment completion.  The resources are available to all of our students in the classroom.  As all of our students may not have the necessary resources available to them outside of the classroom. 

  

Autonomous learning

I have completed so much reading the last couple of weeks about autonomous learning it is all starting to blend together.  In the beginning, I did not have a clear understanding of autonomous learning.  However, after completing the initial readings, I understood autonomous to mean learning completed independently of time and location.  I was under the impressing that the information was basically put together in a pre-packaged format completed by the learner submitted for a grade and that was it.

But, as I continue to grow and develop as an autonomous learner, so does my appreciation for what is needed to be a true autonomous learner.  It is not just about the processing of pre-packaged information.  A true autonomous learner is a self directed learner, taking responsibility for the direction that his or her learning takes.  When one truly becomes an autonomous learner they embrace not only the role of the learner but also that of the instructor.