Module 4 Blog Posting: The Disruptive Power of Second Life
Second Life (SL) is a virtual world developed by Linden Lab that launched on June 23, 2003 and is accessible on the Internet. A free client program called the Viewer enables its users, called Residents, to interact with each other through avatars. Built into the software is a three-dimensional modeling tool based around simple geometric shapes that allows a resident to build virtual objects. This can be used in combination with the Linden Scripting Language which can be used to add functionality to objects. The Second Life Terms of Service ensure that users retain copyright for any content they create, and the server and client provide simple digital rights management functions.
Second Life is a disruptive technology because it is the same as an internet chat room or other networking web site but now it adds a physical description of the ones involved in the conversation with the avatar. Also the user can develop a “home” through the development of their Second Life Island where they can make buildings and rooms that are significance to them and their situation. This may also lead to obsoleting some other networking web sites because of the capabilities of Second Life to pull together entire conferences on any subject plus the multiple types of media available to the users such as text chat, oral presentation/ response, and the ability to converse with people of the same interests through your avatar.
Since Second Life deals with Avatars and graphics I don’t feel that this technology will be obsoleted until Artificial Intelligence becomes more involved in our world. Sticking with the topic of our discussion topic this week, Science-Fiction, all of the Science Fiction movies that deal with Artificial Intelligence, it will could be in our life-time that Artificial Intelligence obsoletes a great number of the technologies in our daily lives.
There are an endless number of social benefits of second life. The networking opportunities are endless with friends being able to connect with friends, people with similar interests able to connect, and also the experience that people are able to gain on subject areas which aids in knowledge acquisition.
Sunday, August 1, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Module 5 Blog Post
In our football program, as coaches we spend six times as much time planning and meeting as we do practicing our players on the practice field. We are providing some good examples as constructivists as we are constantly focusing on the process and not the results. We were able to demo some new video editing software specifically for football. It is very similar to Microsoft Moviemaker but with a lot of add-ons for football. Most of our coaching staff has been coaching for 25+ years besides me and we all have always used grid sheets to scout and chart our opponents. When we were able to demo this new software most of our coaches would have no part of it because of the “I’ve always done it this way” idea. Their attitudes were very negative towards the new concepts.
In applying Keller’s ARCS model, I would be able to change the more experienced coaches and even convince them to use the new software. I would have to first enhance the relevance of integrating technology by having the coaching staff determine how the software would relate to team goals (what they want to accomplish). I would have to build on the coach’s previous knowledge/experiences allowing time for transition. Secondly, confidence would need to be built by creating a positive environment in which each coach can set their own goals permitting them to be in control of their experiences. Lastly, I would allow time for the coaches to use the newly acquired software while providing support, encouragement and praise. If the coach views the experience as positive and possible then the integration of the new software may be more successful.
In applying Keller’s ARCS model, I would be able to change the more experienced coaches and even convince them to use the new software. I would have to first enhance the relevance of integrating technology by having the coaching staff determine how the software would relate to team goals (what they want to accomplish). I would have to build on the coach’s previous knowledge/experiences allowing time for transition. Secondly, confidence would need to be built by creating a positive environment in which each coach can set their own goals permitting them to be in control of their experiences. Lastly, I would allow time for the coaches to use the newly acquired software while providing support, encouragement and praise. If the coach views the experience as positive and possible then the integration of the new software may be more successful.
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Module #4 Blog Post
One of the Central Concepts of connectivism is that people learn through the networks they construct to obtain knowledge. These networks that I have formed have changed the way I learn to not only allow me to obtain information but to participate in problem solving experiences. These experiences are where the acquisition of knowledge comes from. In a sense learning networks not only provide information such as a search engine but they allow one to gain experience.
Wikis best facilitate learning for me by giving me the ability to be an active participant in a learning community. In this wiki I can share post with my learning community and others. Here they can comment, expand, or take away from information that I have provided. This information can be pieces of a puzzle where everyone within the learning community is contributing to work towards a finished product that may solve a problem.
New knowledge comes from the experience of working through problems by having questions. That is another great reason for the on-line learning community. You can collaborate with people from many different geographic locations and many different walks of life. This diversity allows you to get questions answered and also answer some questions that others may have. At the end of this process, you have now been there and done that which is experience. This experience you just underwent has given you new knowledge.
Wikis best facilitate learning for me by giving me the ability to be an active participant in a learning community. In this wiki I can share post with my learning community and others. Here they can comment, expand, or take away from information that I have provided. This information can be pieces of a puzzle where everyone within the learning community is contributing to work towards a finished product that may solve a problem.
New knowledge comes from the experience of working through problems by having questions. That is another great reason for the on-line learning community. You can collaborate with people from many different geographic locations and many different walks of life. This diversity allows you to get questions answered and also answer some questions that others may have. At the end of this process, you have now been there and done that which is experience. This experience you just underwent has given you new knowledge.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Module #3 Post
Do you believe that humans have a basic instinct to “interact and work as a group,” as Rheingold proposed in his discussion of the evolution of Wikipedia as a collectively developed encyclopedia? How can technology facilitate collaboration among learners based on constructivist principles?
I believe humans have a basic instinct to live. The definition of “to live” has changed over the last ten thousand years. Ten thousands years ago humans were driven by their basic physical needs, hunger, thirst, and warmth. I believe man’s instinct to live drive them to work as a group to obtain these things. Some examples are man learned to hunt larger animals by hunting in groups, they learned ways to obtain water by working in groups, and they learned ways to provide warmth for themselves by working together to gather wood and build larger fires. Over time as man become more efficient in obtaining these things, man had more time and the ability to develop new things by working in a group. Now we have grown socially even now as our ways and means of communication has advanced to more effectively work as a group.
Technology can facilitate collaboration among learners based on constructivist’s principles through the use of Microworlds and hypermedia designs where students can work and interact with other members of the same interests. Also open software and course management tools such as Google docs can help facilitate collaboration among learners by allowing them to share documents needed to complete activities.
I believe humans have a basic instinct to live. The definition of “to live” has changed over the last ten thousand years. Ten thousands years ago humans were driven by their basic physical needs, hunger, thirst, and warmth. I believe man’s instinct to live drive them to work as a group to obtain these things. Some examples are man learned to hunt larger animals by hunting in groups, they learned ways to obtain water by working in groups, and they learned ways to provide warmth for themselves by working together to gather wood and build larger fires. Over time as man become more efficient in obtaining these things, man had more time and the ability to develop new things by working in a group. Now we have grown socially even now as our ways and means of communication has advanced to more effectively work as a group.
Technology can facilitate collaboration among learners based on constructivist’s principles through the use of Microworlds and hypermedia designs where students can work and interact with other members of the same interests. Also open software and course management tools such as Google docs can help facilitate collaboration among learners by allowing them to share documents needed to complete activities.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Module #2
Education has evolved drastically due to the rapid advancement of technology. Technology has allowed the teacher to deliver instruction in so many more ways and receive instruction. It has allowed the student to learn in many ways. I believe that is why these learning theory’s have evolved. I do believe in our public school system k-12 the overall goal of education: the student learning and the teacher teaching, has gotten lost at times with all of the outside demands placed on the classroom teachers and the age and experience of the classroom teachers. These –isms are great to use as a filter because they are able to center our focus back on the overall goal of education.
"Learning Theory" and "Cognitivism"
The two conversations linked below are examples of fascinating discussions in 2007 on cognitivism and behaviorism among three important thinkers: Bill Kerr, Stephen Downes, and Karl Kapp.
http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html
http://karlkapp.blogspot.com/2007/01/out-and-about-discussion-on-educational.html
Education has evolved drastically due to the rapid advancement of technology. Technology has allowed the teacher to deliver instruction in so many more ways and receive instruction. It has allowed the student to learn in many ways. I believe that is why these learning theory’s have evolved. I do believe in our public school system k-12 the overall goal of education: the student learning and the teacher teaching, has gotten lost at times with all of the outside demands placed on the classroom teachers and the age and experience of the classroom teachers. These –isms are great to use as a filter because they are able to center our focus back on the overall goal of education.
"Learning Theory" and "Cognitivism"
The two conversations linked below are examples of fascinating discussions in 2007 on cognitivism and behaviorism among three important thinkers: Bill Kerr, Stephen Downes, and Karl Kapp.
http://billkerr2.blogspot.com/2007/01/isms-as-filter-not-blinker.html
http://karlkapp.blogspot.com/2007/01/out-and-about-discussion-on-educational.html
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Module #1 Post
Question: Critique Siemens’s “metaphors of educators.” Which of these metaphors best describes the role you believe an instructor should take in a digital classroom or workplace? Is there a better metaphor to reflect your view of the role of instructors?
Introduction
George Siemen’s wrote a paper entitled Learning and knowing in networks. In this paper, Siemens explored the requirements for learning theory in a digital age by sharing Ertmer and Newby’s five "definitive questions" that all learning theories must answer. He organized learning theories into four paradigms of learning: behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, and connectivism, and discussed the changing role of educators and learners in a digital age. Siemens also discussed four changing roles of instructors that reflect the impact of the digital age on learning.
Siemen’s used metaphors for educator’s to describe their changing role in the classroom. The first two of the four was the educator as Master Artist and as a Network Administrator. The third one of the four metaphors of Educator’s explains the educator as a Concierge. The fourth discusses the educator as a Curator. Siemen’s uses the four metaphors for educators in order to assist learners in forming diverse personal learning networks for deep understanding of complex fields. (Siemens, 2008)
Siemen’s first metaphor is the educator as a Master Artists. He starts by describing how an art studio is set up with open space where students create and are able to observe the works with others. This metaphor does a great job of describing the instructor in a digital classroom because the student’s are able to gain insight from both student and instructor. (Siemens, 2008) In this metaphor the expertise is still present but not intended to lead an agenda but to inform and offer perspective shifts based on the work of the masters. (Siemens, 2008) The positives of this metaphor is that the learning and activities are student centered, the learner is practicing higher order thinking skills, and they are actually doing while being able to compare their work to others. The negatives of this metaphor are the educator would have trouble teaching fundamental prerequisite skills the learner may need to work in the “art studio.” The learner would have to already know them and/or learn them from others. In some classroom situations this could prove difficult.
The educator as a network administrator is the second metaphor Siemens used in his paper. In this metaphor Siemens shows how the learner needs help to gain skills they need to construct networks for learning, evaluating their performance, and work within that structure. This educator would assist learners in forming connections and creating learning networks. (Siemens, 2008) The negative aspect of this role of the educator is that the learner could not be as a engaged by the instructor since they hold the role as an administrator. The positive aspect is that they are learning within a network so they are learning from student-centered activities.
Siemen’s third metaphor is the educator in a concierge role. This educator’s job is to show “things” that the learner might not have known was there. The educator would help the learner to gain quick access to information, processes, learning tools, etc. shifting idealogy from learning check boxes to learner designed programs of study. This educator would give “soft guidance” which may require some lecture. (Siemens, 2008) The negative aspect of this educator could be the lack of value given to the educator since they are only there to give “soft guidance.” The positive aspect of this educator is that this metaphor leads students to learner designed programs of study.
The educator as an expert learner who creates space where knowledge can be created is what Siemens refers to as the educator as a curator. This educator’s role understands the frustration of exploring unknown territories without a map. That is why they create the space where knowledge can be explored and connected. The negative aspect of this educator is that they could possibly provide too much support for the learner. The positive aspect of this educator is that they are the total educator. They are an expert on the subject matter, they share knowledge, yet they understand the learner may have never experienced the material. Then they allow the learner to explore and connect with knowledge.
The educator as a curator best describes the role I believe an instructor should take in a digital classroom. The reasons are I believe the instructor should be an expert with advanced knowledge since they hold the title of professional. Also I believe the skills of exploring and connecting should be in the curriculum and this educator utilizes them both in their classroom. Another reason for my rationale is from another paper George Siemens wrote, Networks, ecologies, and curatorial teaching, where he discusses when the curatorial role engages the learner with subject matter, the key concepts of a discipline are transparently reflected through the curatorial actions of the teacher.
References
Siemens, G. (2007). Networks, ecologies, and curatorial teaching. Retrieved March 21, 2010,
from http://www.connectivism.ca/
Siemens, G. (2008, January 27). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for
educators and designers. Paper presented to ITFORUM. Retrieved from
http://it.coe.uga.edu/itforum/Paper105/Siemens.pdf
Introduction
George Siemen’s wrote a paper entitled Learning and knowing in networks. In this paper, Siemens explored the requirements for learning theory in a digital age by sharing Ertmer and Newby’s five "definitive questions" that all learning theories must answer. He organized learning theories into four paradigms of learning: behaviorism, cognitivism, constructivism, and connectivism, and discussed the changing role of educators and learners in a digital age. Siemens also discussed four changing roles of instructors that reflect the impact of the digital age on learning.
Siemen’s used metaphors for educator’s to describe their changing role in the classroom. The first two of the four was the educator as Master Artist and as a Network Administrator. The third one of the four metaphors of Educator’s explains the educator as a Concierge. The fourth discusses the educator as a Curator. Siemen’s uses the four metaphors for educators in order to assist learners in forming diverse personal learning networks for deep understanding of complex fields. (Siemens, 2008)
Siemen’s first metaphor is the educator as a Master Artists. He starts by describing how an art studio is set up with open space where students create and are able to observe the works with others. This metaphor does a great job of describing the instructor in a digital classroom because the student’s are able to gain insight from both student and instructor. (Siemens, 2008) In this metaphor the expertise is still present but not intended to lead an agenda but to inform and offer perspective shifts based on the work of the masters. (Siemens, 2008) The positives of this metaphor is that the learning and activities are student centered, the learner is practicing higher order thinking skills, and they are actually doing while being able to compare their work to others. The negatives of this metaphor are the educator would have trouble teaching fundamental prerequisite skills the learner may need to work in the “art studio.” The learner would have to already know them and/or learn them from others. In some classroom situations this could prove difficult.
The educator as a network administrator is the second metaphor Siemens used in his paper. In this metaphor Siemens shows how the learner needs help to gain skills they need to construct networks for learning, evaluating their performance, and work within that structure. This educator would assist learners in forming connections and creating learning networks. (Siemens, 2008) The negative aspect of this role of the educator is that the learner could not be as a engaged by the instructor since they hold the role as an administrator. The positive aspect is that they are learning within a network so they are learning from student-centered activities.
Siemen’s third metaphor is the educator in a concierge role. This educator’s job is to show “things” that the learner might not have known was there. The educator would help the learner to gain quick access to information, processes, learning tools, etc. shifting idealogy from learning check boxes to learner designed programs of study. This educator would give “soft guidance” which may require some lecture. (Siemens, 2008) The negative aspect of this educator could be the lack of value given to the educator since they are only there to give “soft guidance.” The positive aspect of this educator is that this metaphor leads students to learner designed programs of study.
The educator as an expert learner who creates space where knowledge can be created is what Siemens refers to as the educator as a curator. This educator’s role understands the frustration of exploring unknown territories without a map. That is why they create the space where knowledge can be explored and connected. The negative aspect of this educator is that they could possibly provide too much support for the learner. The positive aspect of this educator is that they are the total educator. They are an expert on the subject matter, they share knowledge, yet they understand the learner may have never experienced the material. Then they allow the learner to explore and connect with knowledge.
The educator as a curator best describes the role I believe an instructor should take in a digital classroom. The reasons are I believe the instructor should be an expert with advanced knowledge since they hold the title of professional. Also I believe the skills of exploring and connecting should be in the curriculum and this educator utilizes them both in their classroom. Another reason for my rationale is from another paper George Siemens wrote, Networks, ecologies, and curatorial teaching, where he discusses when the curatorial role engages the learner with subject matter, the key concepts of a discipline are transparently reflected through the curatorial actions of the teacher.
References
Siemens, G. (2007). Networks, ecologies, and curatorial teaching. Retrieved March 21, 2010,
from http://www.connectivism.ca/
Siemens, G. (2008, January 27). Learning and knowing in networks: Changing roles for
educators and designers. Paper presented to ITFORUM. Retrieved from
http://it.coe.uga.edu/itforum/Paper105/Siemens.pdf
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