Educational TED, with its quick quiz, think, and dig deeper parts, is a fantastic resource for teachers and students alike.
Here is the explanation video:
Thursday, 19 July 2012
Wednesday, 20 June 2012
World population - Hans Rosling tells it with super statistical graphics and, cardboard boxes
Hans Rosling does it again, giving a wonderfully simple presentation, making sense of gloriously complicated statistics.
We have preconceived notions of how the World's population is growing and we have our own explanations for this. In this TED talk Rosling takes on the subject of religion and babies and shows that the factors that lower the number of children born to each woman are educational, cultural and economic (although not wealth).
From Qatar's social trends document: "The most important factors are as follows: increased age at first marriage, increased educational level of Qatari women, and more women integrated in the workforce".
Rosling's usual wizardry with time phased graphs is complemented here by his explanation of why the World's population will peak at 10 billion, using the cardboard boxes that the conference notebooks came in. What a master of explanation he is...
We have preconceived notions of how the World's population is growing and we have our own explanations for this. In this TED talk Rosling takes on the subject of religion and babies and shows that the factors that lower the number of children born to each woman are educational, cultural and economic (although not wealth).
From Qatar's social trends document: "The most important factors are as follows: increased age at first marriage, increased educational level of Qatari women, and more women integrated in the workforce".
Rosling's usual wizardry with time phased graphs is complemented here by his explanation of why the World's population will peak at 10 billion, using the cardboard boxes that the conference notebooks came in. What a master of explanation he is...
Thursday, 17 May 2012
Bonk vs Anderson Interaction Compared
Dr Curtis Bonk's Week 3 session on #bonkopen was titled "50 Hyper-Engaging Ideas: Critical, Creative, Cooperative". Using the unique Bonk presentation style, he rattled through many useful ideas grouped, roughly, into developing critical thinking, creativity and cooperation.
This was the same week as the #change11 MOOC on Interaction Equivalency with Terry Anderson and I have written my notes on this in my previous post.
It was interesting to compare these two live sessions - Bonk's appropriately entitled "Hyper-Engaging Ideas" and Anderson's measured yet reactive sessions.
Both were Teacher-student interactions as defined by Anderson, both had Student-student interactions in the chat, and both had, I am sure, Student-content interaction going on as we kept up with a huge range of resources being thrown out by Bonk and the relatively more difficult material and concepts from Anderson.
The Teacher-student interactions:
The presentations would have been very different, of course - but, as Bonk himself said, little was remembered after a few minutes from the rapid fire presentation. He used polls constantly to maintain an interest and have students choose the take-away ideas, but his style suited the presentation of a huge range of materials.
I did remember the Anderson presentation better. I could take time to concentrate on some of the ideas because of the pace, and there was enough participation required of me to enable the ideas to stick.
Student-student: The chat was manageable on the Anderson presentation (30 or so participants), impossible on the Bonk one (200+ participants). There is a problem of scaling up on the chat which, if this type of platform is to be used, Bb will have to solve.
Student-content: I prepared, usefully, for both presentations, and this helped with my learning. It was more necessary in the Anderson one since I needed to learn some concepts first and read around for contexts.
Bonk has a great series of 10 minute video primers on e-learning and teaching, on an attribution share-alike CC license:
Have a look at the video on Online Student-Instructor-Practitioner Relationships, Bonk's primer on exactly this subject - Online interactions. Here he gives a very practical approach with many suggestions on how to achieve good interactions and hence good relationships online.
So, very different methods, both achieve their goals.
What did I take away from this week on bonkopen?
This was the same week as the #change11 MOOC on Interaction Equivalency with Terry Anderson and I have written my notes on this in my previous post.
It was interesting to compare these two live sessions - Bonk's appropriately entitled "Hyper-Engaging Ideas" and Anderson's measured yet reactive sessions.
Both were Teacher-student interactions as defined by Anderson, both had Student-student interactions in the chat, and both had, I am sure, Student-content interaction going on as we kept up with a huge range of resources being thrown out by Bonk and the relatively more difficult material and concepts from Anderson.
The Teacher-student interactions:
- Bonk fire hose in action engaging as many students as possible using polls and comments. It was interesting to note the change of pace when Justin took over whilst Dr Bonk suffered the effects of his constant drinking from his vitamin water-bottle.
- Anderson with a measured tone and approach, relying on sound scholarship and reacting to the chat to adjust his presentation and explain where necessary.
The presentations would have been very different, of course - but, as Bonk himself said, little was remembered after a few minutes from the rapid fire presentation. He used polls constantly to maintain an interest and have students choose the take-away ideas, but his style suited the presentation of a huge range of materials.
I did remember the Anderson presentation better. I could take time to concentrate on some of the ideas because of the pace, and there was enough participation required of me to enable the ideas to stick.
Student-student: The chat was manageable on the Anderson presentation (30 or so participants), impossible on the Bonk one (200+ participants). There is a problem of scaling up on the chat which, if this type of platform is to be used, Bb will have to solve.
Student-content: I prepared, usefully, for both presentations, and this helped with my learning. It was more necessary in the Anderson one since I needed to learn some concepts first and read around for contexts.
Bonk has a great series of 10 minute video primers on e-learning and teaching, on an attribution share-alike CC license:
So, very different methods, both achieve their goals.
What did I take away from this week on bonkopen?
- Considering activities in terms of their Cost, Risk and Time - evaluating these in terms of the amount of each that you can give
- What do students want? Asking early what students expect from the course and use the interaction to calm fears "we'll be doing that in week 3" etc, as well as increasing student commitment to the class.
- Simulations to elicit discussion
- Two heads better than one - posting individual summaries online and have them edit these into one
- Reverse brainstorming - solve the problem with reverse conditions
- Six hats - using de Bono for learning
Anderson finishing us off with Interaction
Week 36 on #change11 and the end of a great journey. Will write about the MOOC separately but wanted to record my notes for Terry Anderson's excellent live session.
You can slice up how we look at learning and teaching in many ways. The concept of Interaction considers the process by viewing the interactions that exist between the three possible "players": the learner, the teacher and the content.
Moore described this in 1989 and this diagram shows the possible interactions:
(from the ALT Newsletter)
Other models of learning (for example, Friere and Glaserfeld) concentrate on the learner (and the teacher) but the Interaction model allows us to consider the actual tasks in the process of learning.
I did wonder about Content-content but I can give a very much up-to-date example of content acting on content to improve personal search in Google's Knowledge Graph.
The Student-teacher interaction is the obvious one but both Student-content and Student-student are viable and important interactions to produce "deep and meaningful learning".
Anderson added to this in 2003 by introducing the idea of Interaction Equivalence when discussing formal learning:
In planning learning and teaching, it is likely that each of the three interactions need to be addressed. The pendulum of collaborative learning has probably swung too far and the needs of the more "introverted" learner needs to be taken into account too. I don't like the term but it has come to the fore with Susan Cain's book "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking". By having interaction with content and with teacher/student in each of the two examples above, both intro- and extrovert learners are catered for.
Anderson also talked about the idea of a "no frills" university - can students be better served by less than the full university experience? This is happening and perhaps even necessary to happen so as to make education accessible to more people.
He asked whether it was necessary for a university to be heavily research focused to be a good teaching university? There is little evidence to support this.
With decreases in costs of content we could see a different approach to what the university provides - with, perhaps, good teaching universities maintaining the small group tuturial aspect for higher fee payers but opening up their courses to many more.
Some free universities: P2PU, University of the People and the OER University.
Thank you Terry Anderson for finishing these excellent 36 weeks so well.
You can slice up how we look at learning and teaching in many ways. The concept of Interaction considers the process by viewing the interactions that exist between the three possible "players": the learner, the teacher and the content.
Moore described this in 1989 and this diagram shows the possible interactions:
Other models of learning (for example, Friere and Glaserfeld) concentrate on the learner (and the teacher) but the Interaction model allows us to consider the actual tasks in the process of learning.
I did wonder about Content-content but I can give a very much up-to-date example of content acting on content to improve personal search in Google's Knowledge Graph.
The Student-teacher interaction is the obvious one but both Student-content and Student-student are viable and important interactions to produce "deep and meaningful learning".
Anderson added to this in 2003 by introducing the idea of Interaction Equivalence when discussing formal learning:
- Deep and meaningful formal learning is supported as long as one of the three forms of interaction (Student-teacher, Student-student, Student-content) is at a high level. The other two may be offered at minimum levels, or even eliminated, without degrading the educational experience.
- High levels of more than one of these three modes will likely provide a more satisfying educational experience, although these experiences may not be as cost- or time-effective as less interactive learning sequences.
In planning learning and teaching, it is likely that each of the three interactions need to be addressed. The pendulum of collaborative learning has probably swung too far and the needs of the more "introverted" learner needs to be taken into account too. I don't like the term but it has come to the fore with Susan Cain's book "Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking". By having interaction with content and with teacher/student in each of the two examples above, both intro- and extrovert learners are catered for.
Anderson also talked about the idea of a "no frills" university - can students be better served by less than the full university experience? This is happening and perhaps even necessary to happen so as to make education accessible to more people.
He asked whether it was necessary for a university to be heavily research focused to be a good teaching university? There is little evidence to support this.
With decreases in costs of content we could see a different approach to what the university provides - with, perhaps, good teaching universities maintaining the small group tuturial aspect for higher fee payers but opening up their courses to many more.
Some free universities: P2PU, University of the People and the OER University.
Thank you Terry Anderson for finishing these excellent 36 weeks so well.
Sunday, 13 May 2012
BYOD Issues - do we have the right infrastructure?
The first question for a school considering BYOD is "do we have the right infrastructure?"
A BYOD system will have a range and large number of devices connecting through the school's wireless internet system. We have played the catch-up game and are now reporting good access times with a 30Mbits connection (not quite dedicated but near enough).
So what else do we need?
Here is Fernando, our Sysman's, reply on what we did to prepare and what we have left to do:
A BYOD system will have a range and large number of devices connecting through the school's wireless internet system. We have played the catch-up game and are now reporting good access times with a 30Mbits connection (not quite dedicated but near enough).
So what else do we need?
Here is Fernando, our Sysman's, reply on what we did to prepare and what we have left to do:
"1. Increase our IP range: We migrated from a Network Class "C" (up to 256 nodes) to a Network Class "B" (up to 65,536 nodes) (node = client = PC, iPhone, tablet, iPad...etc). As you can see a network class "B" is a collection of 256 class "C" networks. On our school Network Class "B" we have enabled (are using) 5 of those class "C" collections. We have plenty of IP's available still (71% of the capacity just with those 5 enabled).
2. A couple of years ago we "increased" our Router/Gw capability (Fortigate 310B + Analyzer) in order to prepare and handle the demand generated by point #1. This is a device with highly capable/full featured QoS (Quality of Service) rules and such that prevent the bandwidth (internet) to be overloaded. Obviously this is nothing if you don't have enough Internet Bandwidth available. Big thanks for those 30Mbps!
Next steps:
1. Core Switch / Optical Fiber links: Not only to prepare our way for an IP telephone plant and video CCTV but to reduce the actual Broadcasting and collision domains effect due to the excess of clients per nested switch. This another technical requirement that must be added for providing BYOD in schools. There are several ways to reduce this problem, the must common one is the use of VLANs (Virtual LANs) something that we are already doing."
Friday, 11 May 2012
From Meta-research to Practice - John Hattie's Visible Learning for Teachers
John Hattie's new book "Visible Learning for Teachers" (2012, Routledge) follows on from the meta-analyses published in "Visible Learning" of 2009. The book is in hardcover and expensive ($126.57) but available on Kindle.
He proposes two major traits of successful teachers:
- "S/he sees learning through the eyes of her/his students"
- "S/he helps students become their own teachers"
Additionally, he lists several "Mind Frames" of teachers who bring about successful learning, here are some:
- seeker of feedback
- use dialogue more than monologue
- have high expectations for all
- welcome error
And a flavour of some of the others:
- use learning intentions and success criteria
- aim for surface and deep outcomes
- set high expectations
- create trusting environments
- give and receive feedback
- monitor and interpret my learning/teaching
Those two last aspects are key to improvement of learning and teaching, having a "passion for evaluating impact" as Hattie put it. "Know thy impact" - this is the central theme of the book.
Reading further....
Reading further....
Thursday, 10 May 2012
R2D2 - a good Bonk re-think before transferring courses online
The polls were well underway by the time of the official start of Curtis Bonk's second live session on #bonkopen. Again, this was a good way of getting involvement from 275 participants (later 324 or so), with a chorus of bonk-prattle where Dr Bonk picked out individuals, perhaps mentioning their country and their response, in an endless stream of connection. Although there were repeated reminders, many continued to place their response on the chat stream, with the effect that this moved so rapidly that it was difficult to follow. But there was enough entertainment from Dr Bonk on the audio and video streams to make up for this.
Today's subject was the R2D2 model (or Framework).
I am confused about what it is. No, I don't think that it is a astromech droid/theromcapsulary dehousing asister, but whether it is a pedagogy.
Bonk stated that it was NOT a learning styles model (as a psychologist he does not believe in learning styles), NOT an instructional design, but a way to divide up what you do on online learning and teaching.
So it is an aide-memoir, a sort of checklist of good practices, particularly for engaging students with digital technologies, to cause learning. A sort of VAK (Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic) approach but including reading and reflection - two prime assets/learning methods for online learning.
The R2D2 model was illustrated by this diagram from his slide show, again available before the session, so it was easy to follow and useful for those who reported delays in the showing of some slides during the actual session. I am linking the slides here but it is in the CourseSite so can only be accessed by password - a shame since the R2D2 model is hardly worthwhile without it.
I will try to expand on these bare bones from what was presented.
R2D2 Model:
My initial thoughts on the R2D2 aide memoir are that it is useful in the sense of insisting on a complete re-write and re-think when transferring from face to face class courses. Too often "instruction" is transferred from F2F to online without much thought. It NEEDS a total re-think and this is a good reminder of the ways that it can be done.
#change11
Today's subject was the R2D2 model (or Framework).
I am confused about what it is. No, I don't think that it is a astromech droid/theromcapsulary dehousing asister, but whether it is a pedagogy.
Bonk stated that it was NOT a learning styles model (as a psychologist he does not believe in learning styles), NOT an instructional design, but a way to divide up what you do on online learning and teaching.
So it is an aide-memoir, a sort of checklist of good practices, particularly for engaging students with digital technologies, to cause learning. A sort of VAK (Visual, Auditory, Kinesthetic) approach but including reading and reflection - two prime assets/learning methods for online learning.
The R2D2 model was illustrated by this diagram from his slide show, again available before the session, so it was easy to follow and useful for those who reported delays in the showing of some slides during the actual session. I am linking the slides here but it is in the CourseSite so can only be accessed by password - a shame since the R2D2 model is hardly worthwhile without it.
R2D2 Model:
- READ (Auditory and Verbal Learners) BUT AREN'T THESE LEARNING STYLES??
- Critique a Wikibook or a page from Wikipedia
- Read from open access journals - such as the Public Library of Science, or Educause Quarterly, or the International Review of Research in Open and Distance Learning
- Course announcements - using Twitter for example
- Listening/viewing open access podcasts and vodcasts
- Using online glossaries and learning media, such as Bonk's own Learning Planet (here linked to Theorists)
- Online article portals and databases - ERIC
- Online crossword puzzle makers - EclipseCrossword
- Talking dictionaries for rare languages - Siletz Dee-ni, or Dictionarist
- Online instructor Q & A - piazza (worth a look)
- REFLECTING (Reflective and Observational Learners)
- Individual blogging reflections
- Critical friend blog postings - R685-Is the World Open? sample from a Bonk course
- Reflections of expert and specific blogs to supplement class blogs - The English Blog or Health Blog from the Wall Street Journal
- Cultural blogs - with the comment of "what you post today may be of use tomorrow" - Africa
- Workplace and field reflections
- Scenario learning
- DISPLAYING (Visual Learners)
- Videos for clinical education - Sungkyunkwan University of Medicine (password) and medical animations - What is cancer?
- Simulations/interactive maps - Radical cartography, Worldmapper, Virtual bones, Graduation per state
- Online 3D sketches - Trimble
- Wordle
- News stories
- Timeline tools - Luther King Memorial
- Alternative views on interview - Brian J. Ford
- Online art - Olga's Gallery
- Online encyclopedias - Encyclopedia of the Earth
- Educational videos - TED-Ed
- Concept mapping and timeline tools - Inspiration and The Planet
- Lessons on iPad - ShowMe
- Student collaborative knowledge building and sharing - Popplet
- Online timelines - National Geographic
- DOING (Tactile/kinesthetic Learners)
- Podcast productions and shows
- International collaboration on Wikibooks
- Paired article critiques in blogs - set up a schedule to do this
- Virtual microscopes - Univ of Delaware
- Virtual worlds - Virtual Worlds Review
- Simulation games
- Singing YouTube summaries of what you have learned - dan 178
- Visual presentations - Prezi
- Survey research and market analysis
- Collaborate together - MeetingWords, Google Apps (my addition)
- Upload to a mobile book - BookRix
- Student class documentaries
My initial thoughts on the R2D2 aide memoir are that it is useful in the sense of insisting on a complete re-write and re-think when transferring from face to face class courses. Too often "instruction" is transferred from F2F to online without much thought. It NEEDS a total re-think and this is a good reminder of the ways that it can be done.
#change11
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