G’day
April has been an excellent month weather wise, almost an Indian summer. Alas the rain has arrived and it will be downhill from now on. Time to spend indoors on everything elearning. not.
As I was reading the new book by Diana Laurillard, I thought of a couple of statements, one , ‘if you put technology first, then learning comes second’, and that’s not what education is about. Secondly, my signature line of my email address which has been around for over 20 years ‘Learning in the Driver’s seat, Technology turning the wheels’. Both . I think reflect some of the issues and approaches Diana raises in her book.
My first impressions of Diana’s book, Teaching as a Design Science:Building Pedagogical Patterns for Learning and Technology’, lead me to believe if you haven’t go a copy, you should get one.It’s very readable and presents some very sound reasons why and how teachers need to/can design their learning events through employment of ‘reusable pedagogical design patterns’ which can be used creatively to support and enable the effective use of existing and emerging learning technologies in support of learning.Sharing of the outcomes of such initiatives is a must to promote collaboration and understanding of the critical role learning technologies can play in enhancing learning and teaching.Maybe more active Communities of Practice within educational institutions can facilitate the process of collaborative and mutually beneficial educational design endeavours. I’ve got a little way to go to reach the end of the book. so more on my thinking next time.
This month’s posting includes, open library resources,new learning design projects,an unusual ‘periodic’ table, teaching and assessing soft skills, student centered learning, open textbook catalogue,password creators, EdTed,iPad Apps, Googleart project, conferences, NZ Shar-e-fest and the odd one out.
Nought else. Enjoy the surfing.
1. Learning Design projects: The Learning by Design project is an attempt to address the emerging needs of new learners via the intensive practical, pedagogical and professional development of teachers. Teachers involved in the Learning by Design project are engaged as reflective co-researchers. The following website provides access to some of the projects born out of the initiative. Some are quite impressive and provide lots of room for thinking differently.
More details will be posted on the Sharefest site as they come to hand.
http://sharefest.crowdvine.com/
http://www.msf-usa.org/motion.html