Learning Kearn(el)s

One course can alter the course of one's thinking. At least, this has been my experience.  At the beginning of EDU 653: Emerging Web and Mobile Technologies, I was worried. It was designed in the gamification model, and I JUST KNEW, I was going to hate the class. I had this preconceived notion that it was going to be like playing Grand Theft Auto or something (my husband is quite the gamer...me, not so much). I really wondered if I would get anything out of this course. I've been wrong a time or two in my life (shhhh, don't tell my husband. I have him convinced I'm always right!). From the start, I was sucked into the game....er, class. I wanted to be the first to get the assignments in so that I could earn extra badges, and points!  More points meant that I was closer to finishing the course! It was easier to keep track of assignments than a traditional syllabus. I actually found myself...ENJOYING this game/class. There were a few memorable a...

I admit it: I am horrible at determining if photos online are real or fake. I rely heavily on sites like snopes.com to determine authenticity. However, Snopes doesn't cover everything. For example, I was recently given an assignment where I had to determine the authenticity of  few things- photos, quotes, reviews. I did not do so hot. Check THESE out. Which are real and which are fake? I don't want to reveal the answers, but you can go HERE to find out if you were right or wrong. My correctness rate- not so great, but not horrible either. I got the photo wrong, the reviews correct, and I had two quotes correct, one wrong. So 50/50.  I found it interesting that I fared better with  the quotes and reviews than the photos. Interesting, but not surprising. Because I am an avid reader, and I have trained as a historian, I am already a little more critical of what I read. So, I need to work a little more on my critical skills with photos! How ...

Today's education system, while effective in previous generations, no longer prepares students for the future. This is the topic of a powerful TED talk by Sugata Mitra. Sugata Mitra began his discussion with the advent of the modern educational system.  Today's educational system relies on outdated methods of teaching, which focuses on teaching everyone the same thing in essentially the same way.  Mitra makes clear that the way the educational system is designed was effective when it was created and for the generations following.  He clarifies that that the system is not broken, it is outdated. This distinction is quite remarkable as everyone likes to focus on how the education system is broken. As Mitra points out, it did and does work; however, it is not what is needed NOW and for the FUTURE. Mitra's "Hole in the Wall" experiment illuminates for educators how children can learn when left to their own devices. Give them technology and encouragement,...

According to Reference.com, a good citizen is " a person who obeys the laws of his country, contributes to society and participates in public affairs with wisdom. Good citizenship is closely tied to the concept of civic duty, the idea that citizens have responsibilities they must fulfill with regard to their country."(1) Easy enough, right? I mean, I learned that stuff from my parents and in school. I think I even received an award for good citizenship when I was in elementary school. I'm just good like that.  On to the more serious stuff. Good citizenship is important in society. It isn't about being a "do-gooder" exactly, but it is about being a responsible, active citizen. It is about doing what is right versus what is expedient. Digital citizenship is very much the same in spirit. To be a good good digital citizen, individuals are tasked with things like giving credit for where s/he finds material... like those cute kitty pictures that everyone ...

In order to begin developing my Personal Learning Network (PLN), I was tasked with engaging others through Twitter Chats.  I thought this task would be a piece of cake. After all, I can chat with the best of 'em. My experience was quite eye-opening. I decided to record this event as you can see below: You will note that I did not talk during this #globaledchat.  I managed a few Tweets, yes, and a few a follows, but I could not actually talk my way through this experience. I was completely overwhelmed. I do not quite have the hang of this yet. I am sure I will, but using Tweetdeck was very new to me, and it was a LOT to absorb. Though the video is just over 12 minutes, I did spend a little time afterward trying to assimilate everything. I cannot say I enjoyed that first chat; I was too busy figuring out everything. I do feel that this will be valuable and more fun as I grow more accustomed to Tweetdeck. Wish me luck.  I'm going to go t...

SAMR is a dynamic model for designing learning activities for students of all ages in the digital age. SAMR stands for Substitution, Augmentation, Modification, and Redefinition, represented like so: As the diagram shows, the bottom tiers represent enhancement, while the upper tiers reflect transformation of traditional pen and paper assignments.  Let's review SAMR a little more: Now that we understand how SAMR works, we need to also recall that there is a slightly different view of SAMR, the SAMR Pool.  In the SAMR Pool, it no longer looks like the traditional ladder where redefinition is the ultimate goal to reach with each assignment.  It is more of a flow back and forth between each type of task. As you can see, in swimming, you can go back and forth between the different levels more fluidly than one be able to climb the steps of a ladder. "But, Julie," you say, "that is a picture of an ocean, not a pool." Ah! Right you...

Success begins with a single step towards a goal. When I registered for EDU 658, it was with a great amount of trepidation and fear.  I had attempted the course last year and failed miserably due to several health issues that prevented active participation.  Though there was a very valid and logical reason for my failure, I had a very illogical concern that I was somehow cursed and would bomb this course a second time. I never said I was a logical person, but I rarely admit to being wrong either... Ok.  I didn't bomb the course a second time.  In fact, I think I did fairly well.  I learned a few things from my previous attempt at the course, and I learned a TON of great things during this iteration. Lessons from Long Ago (Last Summer) As I stated previously, I attempted this course last summer.  Due to health issues, I had to request, and was granted, an incomplete.  Asking for an Incomplete was Mistake #1. An incomplete is a great tool to b...