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Review of ‘Stepping over the edge – The implications of new technologies for Education’

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I found this a great report that connected and summarised many strong reports and offers a comprehensive but practical overview of the learning landscape and the technologies that fit within, that may impact in the future and how the educational sector is responding, highlighting both strengths and weaknesses.

Some of the key points that resonated for me were:

 

·More than one half of all teens have created media content

·Roughly one third of teens who us the internet have shared content they produced

·The new skills for learning now include: Play; Performance; Simulation; Appropriation; Multitasking; Distributed cognition; Collective Intelligence; Judgment; Transmedia Navigation; Networking and Negotiation

·That just when educational institutions are getting their heads round using VLS/LMS, Web 2.0 has created further questions on what is the correct blend with proportionate reliance on institutional systems and those independent systems

·That blogs have multipurpose potential be it as a reflective tool or repository or a personal tool to connect and communicate within a PLE

·That the OER movement gives an abundance of free resource but that the skill to nagivate this sea of information is lacking and is seen as a specialist skill even for those learners who are competent technology users - there needs to a development on how learners find and validate resources and how to critically evaluate and assess academic value

·That learners see technologies as CORE tools

The metaphor of Connectivism (Siemens, 2005, 2006), underpins much of my work and approach to teaching and learning.It summarises brilliantly how the creation of networks offers benefits to learning both within a formal learning context and outside in informal territories.If offers sustainability to change the meeting needs and changing technologies.It engages entirely with the development of PLE's and peer learning through participation, communication and collaboration.I have experienced Connectivism in action within my own learning experience on the OU course for H817 and H800.

In terms of models I use to develop learning schema - I am developing my provision to usethe 4 Facets of Learning

1 - Thinking and Reflection

2 - Experience and Activity

3 - Conversation and Interaction

4 - Evidence and Demonstration

I am using these 4 key headings with a link to Connectivism to create activities and encourage use of technology to support learners within their formal learning plan with the college.  By ensuring each category is covered, it allows for deep learning potential.

Reference:

Grainne Conole. (2011). Stepping Over the Edge - The Implications of New Technologies For Education. Available: http://www.igi-global.com.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/gateway/chapter/full-text-pdf/45034. Last accessed 21st July 2015.

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