Who are the digital learners?
July 16, 2008
As I shared with a friend today about the importance of networking, the example I gave was my ability to drop in on a fabulous conference going on right now–>Buliding Learning Communities 2008 in Boston, Mass. My colleague is there at my recommendation from last August, and so I emailed to briefly explain UStream and Cover It Live, and how using a laptop and these apps would make the experience there immeasurabley better–that you just couldn’t beat interacting with others in and out of the room (like me 900 miles away–but glued to my chats, UStreams, Coverit Live Blogs, and Twitter…) I received an email stating that not only had he joined Ustream, but he also joined Flickr and Twitter!! It doesn’t take long to “catch the 21st century vision” at BLC, does it?
So my question is this. If THIS
is the way we like to learn too, then why, oh why can’t we bring THIS into the classroom? (Notice the laptops, PDAs, cellphones, & use of cameras sprinkled into this picture. That is pretty good for a basic sit and get session, wouldn’t you say? I would wager they are all emphatically and enthusiastically engaged.) Hoping and praying the ones from my district who are at BLC08 will come back excited about the possibilities of digital tools in the classroom for 21st Century Learning. (Of course I realize there are implications for school policies too.) It makes me SO HAPPY though to know my colleague that quickly adopted some of my favorite apps, like Twitter, Ustream, and Flickr, all b/c he is absolutely immersed in it at BLC08!
Picture Attricbution:
UGC 20 for What Can I Do Now @ BLC08
Uploaded on July 16, 2008
by dkuropatwa
Some rights reserved Anyone can see this photo
Enjoying BLC08 from afar
July 16, 2008
How? Twitter, CoveritLive, and Ustream! My favorite apps during BLC08. My family thinks I’m nuts. I think I’m very smart. I also think most students would be able to handle this!
