Educational theory has been marked by a steady progression of ideas: Instructionism posited knowledge could be transferred from outside a learner’s brain into it, and one stored there, it was available for use to solved problems and build new knowledge. Constructivism posited social interaction led learners to build new knowledge inside his or her brain. Read More
My recent reading has taken me into the social nature of learning and the role of culture in human learning. In many ways, what I read challenges the assumption that is deeply embedded in educational practice that knowledge is an individual phenomenon and that it is created with the brain of individual humans. Clearly, there Read More
What are the fundamental “things” that teachers need to understand? This question has been interesting to me thorough my career, and the list that comprises my answer appears to have changed (at least if I am interpreting the notes I have kept and saved over my career accurately). One of my current answers is backwards Read More
Open educational resources are materials designed (usually) by teachers to support teaching and learning. An book may be an OER, a test or worksheet, a presentation, video or simulation, image, sound or any other work. Most who are new to OER have little trouble understanding the educational resource part of OER. Teacher recognize them as Read More
This is a continuation of the theme contained in the posts: Training, Learning, and Design The Organization of Training, Learning, and Design “Design” is a word that is broadly applied in the vernacular. We can “design” many things, and the motivated among us will actually build whatever we design. In education, we use design to Read More
69: IT Goes Mainstream: Generational Shift in Technology Use Digital technology dominates human communication in those areas where it is accessible… certainly in the West where smart phones and access to the cellular networks can be obtained for fees that can be managed on modest salaries, much of our economic, political, and cultural interaction is Read More
I was amazed recently to hear teachers talking about “the need for good technology training” in their school. That is not the amazing part; what amazed me was when I asked, “what do you mean?” The response was, “you know using Google to find stuff for a good slide show.” The conversation made me think Read More
I first encountered the terms “Fordist (old)” and “ICT (new)” in a 2006 article by Olumuyiwa Asaolu. Since then, I have seen the terms used in earlier works, and they are used to differentiate the nature of organizations and the work they do (and the workers and leaders they need). I summarized the differences in Read More
64: Situational Awareness in Instructional Design As we think about the work of creating appropriate, proper, and reasonable educational technology, our decisions and actions are often biased by the perspective of our position. Educators are biased towards ease of use and effectiveness for teaching; technologists are biased towards reliable, robust, and secure computer systems. School Read More
In preparing a presentation for a upcoming conference, I found a theme that resonated with me and a few others who were reviewing my early drafts. Without delving into the details of the presentation, I will state the presentation focuses (in part) on the nature of school planning that leads to innovative practices being adopted; Read More