Rethinking Teaching & Learning in a Networked Reality

Dr. Alec CourosECOO ’09

#ecoo

Who is this guy?

“Web 2.0 tools that might allow academics to reflect and reimagine what they do as scholars. Such tools might positively affect -- even transform - research,

teaching, and services responsibilities - only if scholars choose to build serious academic lives online,

presenting semi-public selves and becoming invested in and connected to the work of their peers and

students.” (Greenhow, Robella, & Hughes, 2009)

three crowds

Mario Couros

Twitter in 60 Seconds

Twitter in 60 Seconds

The Way We Were

David Wiley(Brigham Young University)

@opencontent

Then vs Now

Analog Digital

Tethered Mobile

Isolated Connected

Generic Personal

Consumption Creating

Closed Open

David Wiley(Brigham Young University)

@opencontent

Education vs Everyday

Analog Digital

Tethered Mobile

Isolated Connected

Generic Personal

Consumption Creating

Closed Open

“... networked proximity facilitates new kinds of spatially unbound community, and that these emerging forms of sociality are equally or more meaningful than

the older ones. Community is thus “liberated”, unhinged from space, and can be maintained regardless of

distance” (Mejias, 2007)

Rise of the PLN

trust

easy trust

What are some of the ways that trust must be considered when integrating technology into teaching & learning?

humankind is mostly good

View on Society?

View on Society?

@zittrain• Technical infrastructure of

the web.

• Wikipedia’s content & form

• ‘Hitchhiking’ exists through Internet-facilitated kindness, collaboration, & sharing.

The Web as Random Acts of Kindness (TED Talk)

“Some of the comments on Youtube make you weep for the future of humanity, just for the spelling alone, never mind the obscenity and naked hatred.”

(Lev Grossman)@leverus

• Inspired by McLuhan’s “We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us.”

• Youtube & other social media mitigate “connection without constraint”. In many cases this leaves to “tremendously deep communities”.

The Machine is (Changing) Us(Personal Democracy Forum)

@mwesch

Heroes for our Mediated Culture

“The invention of the alphabet and the resulting intensification of the visual sense in the communication process gave sight priority over hearing, but the effect was so powerful that it went beyond communication

through language to reshape literate society’s conception and use of space.” (Gordon re: Mcluhan)

educators need trust

via @mcleod

via @shareski

i can haz internetz

@smartinez

What’s the point?

•What do we gain in trusting educators with technology?

•What opportunities are lost without this trust?

•What credibility is lost when we assume that we have control when in fact we do not?

•(How/Where) can we redirect our efforts in positive, meaningful ways?

learners need trust

Teens are not connecting in the ways we fear. But, we need to pay attention to:

•Properties: persistence, replicability, searchability, scalability, (de)locatability.

•Dynamics: invisible audiences, collapsed contexts, blurring of public & private spaces

Living & Learning with Social Media(Penn State address)

@zephoria

“Kyle Doyle is not going to work today, f*** it,

I’m still trashed SICKIE WOO.”

“Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and

hating the work.”

• Scottish teen who participates in my open, online grad course.

• Creative, motivated, independent, connected, respectful, cognizant and intentional in managing his digital identity.

Bassman_Sean(Scotland)

@bassman_sean

networkedreality

simple technologies,deep connections

in practice

Grade One - Expert Visits

@kathycassidy

Grade Five - Choir on Youtube

Grade Five - Choir on Youtube

Grade Six - Global Connections

@zbpipe

Grade Seven/Eight - Class Branding

@glassbeed

Grade Seven/Eight - Class Branding

@glassbeed

Beaver Country Day School - mashUp

Open Courses

Course Trailers

Course Trailers

Non-Credit Students

• Master collaborator aka ‘Lazy Professor’.

• Connects preservice teachers to classrooms across the globe.

•Focus is on the power of sharing, and ‘paying forward’.

Dean Shareski(Prairie South School Division)

@shareski

pay attention to ...

Ubiquity

Real Time Web

RT Search

RT Collaboration

Trusted Groups

New Roles for Educators

Professional Identities

Professional Development Gone Wild!

Private Public

Closed Open

Thinning Walls

Where are youon this hill?

• Let go

• Let go

• Rethink technology

• Let go

• Rethink technology

• Redefine leadership

• Let go

• Rethink technology

• Redefine leadership

• Understand media

• Let go

• Rethink technology

• Redefine leadership

• Understand media

• Knock down walls

• Let go

• Rethink technology

• Redefine leadership

• Understand media

• Knock down walls

• Expand notions of PD

• Let go

• Rethink technology

• Redefine leadership

• Understand media

• Knock down walls

• Expand notions of PD

• Believe

web: couros.catwitter: courosagoogle: couros

alec.couros@uregina.ca

Don’t limit a child to your own learning, for he was born

in another time. ~Tagore