MOOC U

How do you feel about MOOCs?

For me, Massive Open Online Courses fit in perfectly with my interest in SOLEs and MIE. I don't see them as a replacement for traditional face-to-face classes, but they should certainly be used to prepare students for the widely hybridized educational environments developing over the next five years.  

Here is the MOOClist  Do you see anything that engages you?

SOLE and MIE: A new paradigm for global education?

My imagination is becoming wrapped up in the possibilities students and teachers (and therefore all of Humanity) may now have through a new approach in learning theory; it is two-pronged.

The first prong is Self Organized Learning Environments   . These "SOLEs" grew out of an experiment conducted by Professor Sugata Mitra. Data gleaned from these experiments motivated Mitra in developing the second prong in his new learning theory, the concept of Minimally Invasive Education, or MIE.

A feature of SOLE I appreciate (largely for its practicality) is that [one] could happen quite spontaneously, and without a huge amount of expense. This would be achieved via mobile devices, such as old Blackberrys and iPhones people would donate. These devices could be reworked for an outdoor, "always-on" environment. And true to the design of previous SOLEs, the arrangement and scale would be guided by the proportions and needs of children ages 6-13.

MIE has taken root in my mind because it seems so impossible, and yet it works! An educational design has been manifested in which children self organize around digital, web-connected tools, and effectively engage educational content. These children show rapid (perhaps second order?) development in their computer skills, information skills, and co-operational talents in a matter of months. And this is regardless of where they start in terms of literacy. I find this amazing. I want to be amazed. I know we all, as educators, want to see people develop as much as they possibly can, and in the shortest period of time. SOLE and MIE seem to promise this.

Real, Virtual or Hybrid? What's your perspective?

I got a comment on a recent post concerning "virtual field trips". For all of us 5625ers out there, we will recall from Project RED that number 7 on their list of "9 Key Implementation Factors" is virtual field trips:


"With more frequent use, virtual trips are more powerful. The best schools do these at least monthly."

The comment made on my post was regarding the preference students have for the real vs. the virtual. This comment reminded me of a couple of articles I read this morning:

I Love Technology

 

&

Hybrid courses: What Do You Digitize? What Do You Keep in the Classroom?

The authors point out that some subjects require real, physical interaction with a given environment in order for true learning to take place. But, virtual experiences (such as "virtual tours") can be a good place to prepare students for the real world by introducing them to the "rules" ahead of time.

I'm curious how many of you current or former educators have utilized this hybrid approach? And, what level of success (if any) did you have?

Don't Ever Say "'21st Century education.'"

"7. Virtual field trips: With more frequent use, virtual trips are more powerful. The best schools do these at least monthly.

 8. Search engines: Students use daily. "


From  Project RED

How many educators follow guidelines like these? And where do most virtual field trips take students?