Judy K's Blog

YouTube - FirstYearScholars's Channel

2008-03-12T09:20:00.001-06:00

See First Year Scholars Videos. More importantly, see the subcription to cortlandttc tutorials on WebCT and Second Life. To see the above mentioned tutorials, you may need to click on the video first - hate to make you watch it, but at the end of the video, the tutorials show up. I cannot find out to access them otherwise...

YouTube - FirstYearScholars's Channel

2007-12-25T08:01:00.000-07:00

I have created a new wiki. Inspired by a conversation that ensued when an English professor in a Mindfulness in Education Network asked what book would you have loved to read as an 18 year old, I compiled the resulting list.

You may see this list and hopefully additions to it at
http://mindfuleducation.pbwiki.com/mindfuleducation

Please post comments and/or suggestions.

Thanks for taking the time!

An Online Learning Community That Works For Me

2007-10-11T08:58:00.000-06:00

In looking at online learning communities, I have discovered one which serves all the needs I seem to know about right now. In other words, I am still learning about what I may need, or be able to contribute to such a community.

Learning Times.org is a community who's purpose is the interaction and networking of peers in eduacation. The community is broad based, encompassing every type and level of education. This broad base could seem too diverse to be effective, except it is well -organized, and gives lots of directives to follow ones own interest at a given time.

Virtually all possible interactions are available, including virtual meeting rooms, IM, virtual office suites, podcasts, webcasts, online interviews and debates, discussions, and international working groups.

These interactions support the goals and purposes of the organization largely by making membership and access to almost all offerings free, by including international component, by being broad based, and being easy to join. Services include notices sent via email (if one chooses) updating and announcing events. One can publish and share work, and can join small working groups.

One of the qualities that appeals to me is the use of audio and visual methods of communication. As an audio learner, I really appreciate podcasts. Another is the opportunity to collaborate in small working groups with diverse learners/educators. I think learning from our peers is a very important aspect of this level of technological learning. I am realizing more and more the importance of, and the breadth of, online learning community.

I have not had the opportunity to really make use of this community membership, but I have joined and intend to explore more deeply the possibilities and benefits of involvement.

One last thing. Learningtimes.org has a squirrel as its logo. Why? Because a member, who was involved in choosing the logo, had a significant learning experience with a student while chasing a squirrel together. The squirrel is a reminder that learning takes place inside and outside of expected and traditional modes. :)

Find LearningTimes.org at http://www.learningtimes.org/index.php

A Learning Experience in Synchronous Online Learning

2007-09-27T12:29:00.000-06:00

Learning experience via leading a Skype chat: Mostly I learned that with adult learners, little if any control is needed from a facilitator. Actually, NO control is necessary. It is great to be in class with adults. I wonder how different it would be to lead an online chat with young students, say freshmen, or high school students.

I learned that a thorough understanding of the technology would greatly benefit the process :) People get frustrated when too much time is spent trying to deal with tech problems. I sure get frustrated by that myself.

I learned a lot about skype, and I will experience the web ct chatroom this week, which is what I used a few years ago. I can then make a comparison.

Finally, synchronous online communication is acutally making me appreciate asynchronous communication....Both are essential. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. What is great about online ed is that you can have both!

The Role of Education in Social Change

2007-09-26T06:29:00.000-06:00

This morning my mind is filled with these thoughts. There are currently 35 wars being waged on the planet. My country is aggressively involved in all of them, to the tune of trillions of dollars. Every day 50,000 children die of starvation. Iraqui's, when asked by a delegation of non-violent activists who met with Iraqui leaders and civilians what we could do to promote democracy in their country, said "Stop killing us". More than a million Iraqui's have been killed in the name of bringing democracy to them.

If education does not result in social change, what good is it? If students do not understand themselves and society and the world at a deeper level than when they undertook their studies, what value is there? Regardless of the area of study, the world self-destructs without the opposing constructive force, waged, if you will, by the educated privileged.

Online education has the potential to offer this privilege to people who otherwise would never have afforded it - people whose destiny it may be to be great peace makers or great educators, or whatever fulfillment their life path describes. Online education is one of the most powerful tools on the planet!

So....I must learn these lessons of fostering online learning community, and course design, always with this in mind, that the responsibility for delivering education includes the responsiblity to remember who those students are and where and in what circumstances they live, and to ask them what they need and want to learn, and to listen to them - to give them the opportunity to participate at a deep level in the design and development of their course of learning.

This is just a log of thoughts, put down rather spontaneously and passionately. I welcome discussion around them.