Posted 7:28 AM by George Siemens
Is exposure to content learning?

No!

Properly experienced content (well-planned interaction, engagement)...leads to:

Reflection and awakening...which leads to:

Validating, accepting, denying, connecting, building, the content...which leads to:

Learning.

Learning happens in "the place" where the mind of a student grapples with information. Learning does not happen with content only. The content must first be internalized...and then explored...and then in a small window, true, lasting learning occurs.

This explains why students reading an article or a book do not all end up thinking the same way...the experience of a student, and design of a course is as important to learning as is content. The best content in the world must be internalized and connected in order for a student to learn...

What is the impact of this to online learning? Teachers can't create learning by lecturing...but they can foster learning by guiding. By guiding, the teacher creates the environment where the student will reflect and connect new learning to existing learning. Am I getting wierd?

Social Impact of the Internet
Quotes: "Confusion about the social implications of new technology is hardly new...The Internet is poised to transform society far more profoundly than telephones, or even cell phones, have."

Comments: Good article, but greater depth and more practical suggestions for managing the social experience of the Internet would be nice. Good point made in the article: Some regard the Internet as a great opportunity to network and connect with others around the world...others regard it as a threat to real-world interactions. I gues a thing is a thing...what we do with it is the important part...

Interactive Media in Education
Quote: "New interactive media are being embraced both on campus and for distance education, but are we really using these technologies to our best advantage? What does the future hold for educators who use these media?"

Comment: Interactive media is complex. Instructors need to focus on ways to utilize each media format for its strengths. I'm sometimes disturbed (ok, maybe always) at the blind use of technology in learning...i.e. use it because it is there, or because it is "cool". Technology tools in learning should be used to solve problems - I need interaction, so I use chat, discussion, whiteboard, etc. Using a tool to solve a problem ensures its relevance and effective learning. The other drawback to using technology in learning is that people often use a new tool in the same manner as they have used an older tool. Waste of time. The characteristics of a medium need to first be established, and then that media type should be used according to its strengths.


Technology - Tailor Made for Teaching
Quote: "Teaching with technology and the Internet is exciting and versatile. It is just perfect for an innovative teacher who never teaches a lesson the same way twice -- one who seeks new ways to present ideas and different ways to visualize concepts."

Comment: The author of this article is too happy. This is like bumping in to someone who just fell in love (irritating, isn't it? :)). The author makes many good points of the value of technology in learning. I just don't quite share her tremendous enthusiasm...Technology has the capability to transform our education institutions. Yet this capacity to transform is not based on technology - it is based on the fact that education is in need of transforming. Technology is doing what many have touted as an effective model for teaching - student centered, flexible, responsive, and personalized. With or without technology, those concepts will transform learning.

Managing Email
I read a study several months ago that stated an average American office worker spent over an hour a day handling email. An hour?!? That's insane!..or so I thought when I first read it. On reflection, I think I spend at least 1/2 hour a day reading and responding to email. Is that a waste? I don't think so. Rather than focusing on the task (email), if I look at the consequences (greater communication, access to global knowledge, flexibility of response, knowledge building, information sharing), then this may be the best hour many employees spend in a day. Personally, I like email...I start to twitch if I don't check my email for several hours.

However, learning how to manage personal email is one of those "Why didn't they teach me that in school?" scenarios. Most people learned to use email by using email...great method, but sometimes, inefficiencies creep in. This link is EXCELLENT. Tips are included on handling spam and using filters. Hey no more emails from President What's His Name in Nigeria who needs my bank account number to safely harbor $75 Million dollars (of which he'll give me 10%). This is a free download (there is an optional donation - perhaps after you read the report, and find your great time savings, you'll go back and thank the author with a $10 donation...)

Parents push for online learning
Quote: "Almost half (45 percent) the 549 parents questioned thought the internet was a better learning tool than TV."

Comment: Guess I'm old...but I don't think I've ever really viewed TV as a learning tool (well, perhaps some of the latest Fox productions like Temptation Island...:)). TV is static...no interaction. For learning, it sucks. Ok, just to moderate that view, I'll give credit to Discovery Channel (and other similar programs). The problem still exists that TV learning is passive - not active...unless you inject an instructor, or parent, into the equation, and they have students interact with the content presented.