Fusion Finds
Educators Integrating Technology
Taking Responsibility for Our Own Learning
Will Richardson recently wrote a guest column for i.e.’s Summer 2007 edition about the use of online networking in school. Here are some of my take aways:
- Today’s world is digitally networked. Examples: 2008 US presidential election “YouTube Campaign,” USA Today’s newly renovate website to allow users’ participation.
- Will says,”…we are nomadic in our learning, meaning we find what we need when we need it.”
- When formulating our own ideas, we use the experiences and reflections of others in our network, interact, and use literacy skills, including recognizing trusted sources of information.
- “We learn to take responsibility for our own learning.”
- Our students need the ability to build and participate in these networks to be successful.
- We need to teach our students how to network, create an online presence, practice on-line safety and ethics, and participate in global collaboration.
- In order to successfully add these tools to our drawer of strategies, we must use the tools ourselves.
I agree with Mr. Richardson’s thoughts. It is important for our students to have these networking experiences in school. It has been my experience as a Tech Curr Dir that teachers proceed through various levels when learning new technologies, one of the first being to use the new tool themselves before using it with their students. This past year I’ve experienced digital networking through the blogosphere, podcasting, and on-line conferences. I don’t have a myspace account, but I am a member of the many other networks including: School2.0, del.icio.us, WOW2.0, and flickr. It has been an amazing year, during which I have learned more than the past 5 years combined. There was a progression as I became a part of an existing network of edtech bloggers. First, I subscribed to blogs and podcasts. Then I started my own blog. Next, I began to comment on other blogs. The most recent new members of my network are teachers from New Zealand. I’ve so enjoyed learning from them via the Time4 Online Conference. This week, I plan to use some of the tips from the post, How to Be an Incredible Blogger by Vicki Davis to build my network.
Download: Posted by bionicteaching at TeacherTube.com.
Technorati Tags: Will+Richardson ie networking YouTube USAToday time4online07 school2.0 delicious wow2.0 flickr Vicki+Davis bionicteaching edtech
3 Responses to “Taking Responsibility for Our Own Learning”
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June 7th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
[...] Taking Responsibility for Our Own Learning [...]
June 7th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
It’s funny how it’s such a mindset change to start making comments on people’s blogs.
I had a process very similar to yours where I started reading an increasing amount of blogs – but I stagnated there for quite some time and never moved on to create my own blog as I didn’t feel I have much of value to share… and I didn’t move on to making comments on the blogs that I was reading because I felt as I didn’t know the blogger personally that somehow I wasn’t entitled to blog.
My wakeup call was a huge rant on one of the blogs I read regularly (forget which one) about no one leaving comments and the frustration this caused the blogger as they KNEW people were reading through stat counters etc. My own blog came about as a means to personally record what I had been doing and has developed nicely over a year into what I hope is a resource that’s useful to a few people out there in the world!
It’s great to “meet” new educators to add to our network… collaboration is an amazing thing and together we certainly do achieve & learn more!
Cheers, Rachel
June 8th, 2007 at 11:59 am
Rachel,
I do appreciate your comments on my blog. It took me a while to “find my voice” as they say. But I am really enjoying blogging at this point, and feel that I am a part of a community. I’m currently trying to find my podcasting voice. I so love listening to the New Zealand accent of you and your students. I afraid my recordings feature a bit of Missouri.