Category: Uncategorized
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Writopia: an English teacher's dream?
In literature, Utopias are entirely bogus, their name meaning “no place.” Did you spend time at Walden 2? You won’t find it on any map. But utopias are useful fictive models of human societies organized along better rules than those prevailing. “Wouldn’t the world be improved,” they ask, “if these particular ways were changed?” A…
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In the "cloud" — the computing of White House data?
An NPR report today discusses the efficiency gains and relative security of open-source, clouds of data. These might be expected from Obama’s team of proven 2.0 practicioners, who could go beyond the 1.0 Bush White House, with its private, highly encrypted software on secure machines. According to the report, it is possible that security will…
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Wiki-based "soul formation" – students self-imposing their educations
Plato could certainly appreciate the benefits of dialogical inquiry–Socratic method, etc. It put Socrates‘ stooges–stand ins (i’m like old Agathon myself) for the rest of humanity–into the dialog. It universalized (or the 4 c equivalent of “globalized”) education. Thus soul-formation was made accessible to all who could read. What an ethical thing to do for…
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How can wikis improve the "formation of souls"?
In a platonic sense, education = “forming” souls. In the Republic, individuals with quality “soul formations” (educations) are empowered to lead lives of virtue within the republic. Being clear about a republic’s goals will help educators minister more conscientiously to public needs. Diane Ravitch lays out the desired features of the soul-shaped, educated young person:…
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World Language learning, "situated" in the virtual world
thanks to Web 2.0 tools. Think of it. No more artificial contextualization for second language learning. It can happen in Second Life at no extra cost. Who needs a trip to Europe anymore? It used to be that a foreign language teachers had to “virtualize” learning environments for students. Engaging them in situated “languaging” took…
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For a K-12 school district: some ideas on going 2.0
In the event that a K-12 district administrator were to ask me about moving education into the 21st century, I’d suggest the following: *Before anything the district needs to decide on and roll-out a district-wide platform that is flexible, free, and easy to use. Where there competing applications are, so is confusion. With an easy…
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"Fluid Learning" has not dampened my spirits
But it frightens and disturbs teachers and administrators all over. The locus of control has shifted in our field of endeavor, and woe unto the educator who ignores or minimizes the learning potential of ubiquitous computer-based connectivity. This article by Mark Pesce is buzzing about the web this weekend, and while it’s sometimes a little…
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Good tech is invisible, pt. 2
i like the way Karl Frisch puts it in his new post. When it’s working right, web 2.0 in schools is not at all about “technology.” When teachers and students are effectively using free and easy “cloud-based” tools, it is all about good teaching and learning: no one notices or thinks much about the programs…
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How does digital community affect kids' ethics?
Howard Gardner of multiple intelligences fame is studying it in the “GoodPlay Project” to find out. While the report is not fully out, its implications are fascinating. http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=2235438&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1Howard Gardner, Harvard Graduate School of Education from Education Week on Vimeo Especially interesting to me were a few findings: *most of our studentsdownload music illegally without compunction.…
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The "networked" student is among us
And how many educators are aware of, much less accommodating his learning? Fortunately, I am working under supervisors and administrators that see what is going on, and are taking steps in the direction of the future.
The Wikiness 