Continuing with the recent 2011 Horizon Report findings, this edition of PD Tips will cover the final identified challenge of the critical challenges schools face. These conclusions are drawn from a careful analysis of current events, papers, articles, and similar sources, as well as from the personal experience of the advisory board members in their roles as leaders in education and technology.
Many activities related to learning and education take place outside the walls of the classroom and thus are not part of our learning metrics.Students can take advantage of learning material online, through games and programs they may have on systems at home, and through their extensive — and constantly available — social networks. The experiences that happen in and around these venues are difficult to tie back to the classroom, as they tend to happen serendipitously and in response to an immediate need for knowledge, rather than being related to topics currently being studied in school.Challenge yourself to explore the different venues your students are using. Encourage them to build their online learning network based on the lessons you’re teaching in your classroom. And, don’t forget about your own PLN, continue to nurture those relationships to keep yourself updated on what new programs your students might be experiencing.
Resource: Johnson, L., Adams, S., and Haywood, K., (2011). The NMC Horizon Report: 2011 K-12 Edition. Austin, Texas: The New Media Consortium.The NMC Horizon Project identifies and describes emerging technologies likely to have a large impact on teaching, learning, research, or creative expression within education around the globe. The research behind The NMC Horizon Report: 2011 K-12 Edition is a collaboration between the New Media Consortium (www.nmc.org), theConsortium for School Networking (CoSN), and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE).
PD tips courtesy of Atomic Learning
