The Connected Curriculum - Challenge #3

Take a Small Step in Online Learning

In the last half century, technology, globalization, and demographic swings have dramatically re-characterized economic development, commerce, and societies in general. Economies have been interconnected like never before. Work-and-home changing technologies like the Internet, mobile gadgets and social networking podiums such as Facebook and Twitter have transformed the way we relate and communicate with one another, helping us navigate the boundaries of mass and moment, and making us active contributors of other people’s purpose. In unison with the growth of global social interconnectedness, education is undergoing an comparable shift, as traditional brick-and-mortar classrooms are beginning to open up to rich media information, area experts, and to one another.

There is now a greater awareness of how people learn, particularly that “one size does not fit all.” Critical problem solving, collaboration, and communication skills are now considered by experts to be just as significant as–if not more significant- than the ability, to score well on a standardized test. Today’s students’ have transitioned from passive learners to active creators of their learning experience. According to Class Differences: Online Education in the United States, there has been a significant decline of the brick and mortar learning traditions and a decisive rise of online learning and distance education. On the average in North America there is a 21 percent growth rate for online learning as opposed to a 2 percent overall higher education growth in 2010. There is no doubt that technology is a noteworthy contributor to the change in the educational landscape.  Streaming video, satellite broadcasts, and video conferencing enrich today’s education. Current technology is poised to be another powerful change delegate adding worth to the learning process and at the same time enriching the quality of the educational experience.

This weekend take a small step into online learning and attend the EduCon Conference in Philadelphia via video streaming.  There is a wide variety of workshops that you can attend, ranging from Creating a Global Citizen, Discussing Change Within the Well-Functioning School, Engaging as Networked Thought Leaders: Let's Write a Book in 90 Minutes!,  The Boundless Classroom: Exploring the Learning Shift with Our Students,  to What is the Role of the Teacher in a World With Digitally Enhanced Learning? The site is well organized and easy to navigate with step-by-step assistance to get started!

So until tomorrow.......

Collaborate and connect your curriculum!