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Blogging as Learning…
September 16, 2007 | 3 Comments
I was making a brief presentation to a group of teachers the other day, just trying to implant some seeds of ideas that I will take time to water and nurture later. It was more a time to have five minutes to start some conversations about the power of technology to shift the ideas and mechanics of learning in the 21st century.
Many teachers continue to hold onto their old stories of education. They want to teach, and be taught, the way they were taught 20 years ago. My role is to try and create 21st century learners of teachers, hoping they will shift their learning environments to reflect the skills our students will need as global citizens of the future. The skills of assessment, collaboration and developing personal learning communities.
One teacher asked me “where do you (I) learn?” I immediately jumped on blogs, both my own and others. maintaining this blog is not just an exercise to share my knowledge, but by writing I am able to reflect and crystallize my own understandings.
In addition, by reading (and commenting on) others blogs (made easy by an RSS aggregator), I can follow, share and reflect on others ideas and conversations. The links you see to the left – “My Reading List” – are a few of the blogs I follow daily. Add to that a few names I haven’t added yet, plus some random, occassional meanderings into the edublogosphere and I have a digital personal learning community. I can “talk” to David Warlick, Clay Burell or Jeff Utech and, through the wonder of cyberspace, can pick the brains of the most innovative thinkers in the world. No longer does geography or circumstance have to isolate us.
In addition, by reading several blogs from different perspectives I am able to build connections and understandings from information that I would not be able to access without technology. This is what we need to learn, and help our kids to learn.
Where to start? Must-reads are David Warlick and Will Richardson – the two evangelists of educational technology. Feel free to read my list and develop your own. Or browse Edutopia’s Edublogs We Love: Top Ten Stops for Internet Interaction for some other ideas (some are also on my list).
Get an RSS feeder (I use Netvibes) and spend 15 minutes a day. It’s the best Professional Development you’ll ever find.
Technorati Tags: education technology warlick will richardson utecht burell whipple
3 Comments so far
Using Blogs, RSS feeds, and other web 2.0 tools for professional development is a great idea! However, teachers must get professional development in using the web tools before they can use them for professional development. Is this a Catch-22? Your mission of creating 21st century learners of teachers is noble. Teaching teachers to use web tools to enhance their own learning seems like a natural first step on their journey to create 21st century learners. As teachers become familiar with the tools they will begin to link them to ways in which the tools can be used to enhance student learning.
Thank you for the list of must-reads. The more we get these authors works and words out there, the better.
Jeff, I’ll add to this what you already know, along with the rest of us who do as you advise: those comments you and others make, those conversations they create, extend everyone’s thoughts.
Missed you in Shanghai! I understand conferences now, and can’t wait to find you and me in the same one soon
Clay
For the last several months I’ve been watering (and fertilizing) the ‘learning and technology’ seeds you planted in me. Blogs are indeed a wonderful learning tool. The conversations often remind me of my many university days spent debating issues over many cups of coffee in cafes and SUBs.
I’ve learned a lot, but I’m still looking for some good ideas on how to expose the potential of Web 2.0 to parents and the general public. I think one of the biggest hurdles will be to have people look past the “tools” and to see the need for digital literacy skills and the potential for learning through conversations.
Any suggestions would be welcomed!