Why Learning Online is Better Than Offline

This past Sunday I unfortunately missed a webinar titled Why Learning Online is Better Than Offline (Lasse, 2010), but was able to view the recording - which I would recommend.  Lasse begins by making a distinction between online and offline learning in terms of control (i.e., people, context, demands/goals, learning on demand, etc.). At 25 minutes, 29 seconds, the following comment was made:

of course learning happens in all environments, but if we are talking about intentional learning of a topic, a comfortable environment is critical   

In a formal, more traditional classroom, the impression is often that students are learning what we as educators are teaching through intentionalism.  But how often is this really the case?  Take a simple conversation for example.  How frequently do intentional conversations take off on non-intentional directions (this webinar is an example of that, but more on that later).  It's impossible to predict with certainty what implications will result from what we say, whether we are having a simple two-way conversation or one-to-many exchange as we commonly find in the classroom.  This is precisely why formal education will always have a gap between the written and taught curriculum.

The second aspect of this comment deals with the need for a comfortable environment in order to learn.  This notion overlooks one important aspect of learning which is diversity.  Sometimes a difference of opinion makes us feel uneasy, uncertain, uncomfortable, etc., but a counterargument is exactly what is needed in education.  We expect this in academic writing, why not in other aspects of education as well?  I've learned more when I've had to question my own beliefs, thoughts, or understandings which invariably did not include a comfortable environment.  On the contrary, it was the uncomfortable environment that motivated me to reflect on my own understandings or lack thereof.      

As mentioned above, I got the impression that the "intention" of the presentation was to have more of a debate as to whether online or offline learning was better.  Instead, the conversation shifted to educational term definitions, web tool recommendations, and general teaching questions that had little to do with the debate.  Not saying this is a bad thing, only that learning is by-and-large not an intentional act, but rather an implicature (whether correct or not) based on prediction.

And the discussion continues...

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Learning Outcomes and Social Influence on Cognitive Networks

Yesterday I attended a talk on Technology and Soft Skills that included the following slide (at 25 minutes, 50 seconds):


This part of the discussion, and this slide in particular, reminded me of a prior blog entry of mine where I address the limitations of Bloom's taxonomy in how many interpret various cognitive processes as discrete behavioral outcomes.  In my view, too many teachers take an image like this and adhere solely on setting behavioral (i.e., instructional) objectives that result in a limited view of the actual learning process.  Eisner (1969, 1979) sought for a balance "among instructional, problem-solving, and expressive outcomes as curriculum experiences" (as stated in Serviovanni, 1999, p. 109), and discussions of Bloom's taxonomy does little to promote Eisner's view.

Also, the bottom row includes "social knowledge" as a separate, hierarchical objective, but to me, the "social" occurs at every cognitive process listed here.  We must interact to "remember", "understand", etc., - using Bloom's language - and we must connect how we take facts that ultimately lead to how we create things.  The social aspect of learning really is the "backdrop" or context that helps us connect learning objects, people, nodes, etc. in a way that influences (positively or negatively) the cognitive connections that we form (i.e., learning).  The social is necessary in order to learn.  True, we can learn certain things on our own, but what's the use if we don't take that knowledge and interact with someone.  On the other hand, creating a social environment is no guarantee one will learn either.  So we need the social network to learn, but more importantly, we need to consider the social ties we form in order to evaluate the influence it has on the cognitive network.

The premier space for educators: Educators 2.0

I am very happy to assume principalship of Educators 2.0!

In a recent interview, I shared my thoughts on the direction that I'd like to take Educators 2.0.  The basic premise is that we are all teachers and are all learners.  That leadership and the responsibilities it brings should be based on one's will, expertise, and ability and not on authority.  Serviovanni (2005) addresses leadership as entitlement and I couldn't agree more.  Those who have the ability should be put in the forefront of change and not just those leaders who have the authority.

If you have a desire to teach and learn, Educators 2.0 is for you!  Share the benefits of a leadership community that fosters individual growth.

P.S. I have to credit George for the picture in the interview...he's got a wild imagination!

Live Session for English Language Educators #2

Calling all educators interested in teaching English to students of other languages: Live Session for English Language Educators #2

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#delt0110: Open, online Distance English Language Training Workshop

Today officially begins day one of an open, online Distance English Language Training (DELT) workshop designed for pre-service and in-service English language educators.  The workshop will be partly asynchronous using the Moodle platform and partly synchronous using the Educators 2.0.  The first live meeting is scheduled for this Friday.

The hashtag #delt0110 will be used to track online discussions so please use this when blogging, tweeting, etc.

Any questions regarding the workshop may be posted to this blog and will be responded to immediately.

New Tools for Personal Learning

Open course designed for sharing new tools for building one's own personal learning network.

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TESOL and Integrating Technologies

As I get geared up for another semester, I'm very excited about some new approaches to teaching that I'll be trying out.  The premise of this pursuit is centered around Downes's (2008) notion of the following four principles as they pertain to connectivism: "diversity", "autonomy", "interaction", and "openness" (slides 93-96).

This semester I will be co-facilitating two open courses, one dedicated to English language learners wanting to improve their writing skills (video intro) and another course for educators teaching English language learners (video intro). Both courses will be conducted in part on a free Moodle hosting site called Key to School (click here is you're interested in creating your own Moodle site).

Another goal for this semester is to encourage more faculty (i.e., EFL educators) to share their teaching and learning experiences online.  To do this, various performance tasks will be recorded during class, uploaded to BlipTV, then explained by means of an interview with the teacher in order to share the experience and to reflect.

Learning another language and professional development this semester for me will focus on diversity, autonomy, interaction, and openness as both teachers and learners are given more of an equitable opportunity to grow and develop within a network.  Instead of judging one's work, teachers and learners will interact and negotiate through concepts, processes, and products in a way that recognizes that every individual can either be a teacher or a learner at any given moment.

One website in particular developed a platform that supports the idea that each of us is a teacher and learner: Educators 2.0  Using the Supercool School platform, Educators 2.0 promotes learner autonomy by giving learners the option to request a course.  Teachers (i.e., facilitators) are able to create their own course as well and are free to design them according to a particular need, interest, and/or learning preference.  The site is also open and possibilities to interact with others abound. Related articles related to Educators 2.0 and Supercool School can be found here: Educators 2.0 introductory blog, Kirsten Butler,  Christine Geith, and Edukwest (interview).

So these are exciting times for me this semester.  Who knows what the end result will be but it's the unknown that drives me to know more.

Open Distance English Language Workshop

You are encouraged to join a semester-long, open (free), distance, English training workshop scheduled to begin January 25, 2010.

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EFL teacher interview

The following interview will serve as a means for reflecting on a performance task conducted by English language learners in Mexico.

ELT Teacher Interview by Benjamin Stewart

Get your own Virtual Classroom

Open Online Moodle Workshop

I´ll be co-facilitating an open, online Moodle workshop beginning January 4, 2010 and concluding January 31, 2010.   Check out the Moodle site, the general overview in Wikieducator, and our webinar scheduled this Saturday if you are interested.

Moodle for Teachers (M4T) by Integrating Technology

Get your own Virtual Classroom

Supercool School

I hope to learn something about Supercool School tomorrow.

Online School Owner Meetup (3)

Blog usage map as of today

Performance Task with English Language Learners

I just had a great conversation with Paty Corral, sharing her experience conducting a performance task with her English language learners:

ELT Teacher Interview by Benjamin Stewart

Get your own Virtual Classroom

Here's the complete video of the performance task: