The “Networked Student” includes representation on a range of tools students would apply to research, collaborate, learn and communicate ideas. There are so many valuable tools for students, such as Google Scholar, Social Bookmarking, Blogs, Google Reader and Podcasts.
The instructor must be, as the video points out, “learning architect, modeler, learner concierge, change agent, network Sherpa and connected learning incubator (Drexler, 2008).” This is a lot to ask an instructor to take on especially if the students are far more digital savvy than the instructor.
Google Scholar is an excellent resource for finding constructive resources for research. Another element of Google of which I am just getting using is Google Reader. So far, the ability to add my peers’ blogs into it is handy. I don’t have to go into each blog separately and check back daily to each one individually just to see if they’ve posted something new. In Google Reader I can subscribe to their blogs and easily see who has posted recently and read their posts within Google Reader.
In perusing the items in Google Reader, I had subscribed to “TED” through a peer’s blog. I chose to watch a video from “TED”, Peter Molyneux demos Milo, the virtual boy (© TED Conferences, LLC, 2010) . This is truly intriguing, the idea of interacting with a computer animated person who grows with us individually. His experiences are in direct reflection of how we decide to teach him about life and relationships. Imagine the potential of this technology. This technology could be used for new parents; helping them to interact with a child to teach them better parenting skills. Another helpful use is for companies to teach management skills to current or prospective managers; the best practices and approaches to good management. The possibilities are just endless.
Works Cited
© TED Conferences, LLC. (2010, August). Peter Molyneux demos Milo, the virtual boy. Peter Molyneux demos Milo, the virtual boy.
Drexler, W. (2008, November 26). The Networked Student.
“There are so many valuable tools for students, such as Google Scholar, Social Bookmarking, Blogs, Google Reader and Podcasts.” What a great list of tools! I feel same way; these tools are extremely valuable. I’m coming back to education after taking several years off, so the technology changes to education are amazing and a little overwhelming. This is the main reason that I decide to go back to graduate school for Instructional/Educational Technology. Now, because of sites like these, teachers have a new set of tools in their tool belts.
ReplyDeleteI, too, am a TED subscriber. My husband introduced me to TED a few years ago, and I’ve been hooked ever since. Using technology and the power of the mind to overcome today’s global problems is an underlying theme for TED. I think it’s a power message to give to our students, and I plan on taking many aspects of the presentations that I find there into the classroom.
Gina M
"This is truly intriguing, the idea of interacting with a computer animated person who grows with us individually.... This technology could be used for new parents; helping them to interact with a child to teach them better parenting skills."
ReplyDeleteAs intriguing as the "virtual child" technology is, I cannot help but think of the heartbreaking recent story of the new parents who were also "raising" a virtual child. Read about it: http://bit.ly/9THu3h
While this is an extreme case, hopefully its tragedy will serve as a cautionary tale.