Global Collaboration

   

     I really like TakingITGlobal which is also called TIG. "TIG uses an online social network aimed primarily at youth to raise awareness and discussion on a number of global issues and encourages youth to take action that affects their local and global communities. Often cited as “the world’s largest community for young people interested in positive change”, TIG’s membership has exceeded 230,000 active members from about 136 countries, as of February 2009."  When I visited this website I found I could select language on the homepage.  So I can encourage my future students and parents visit this website and learn from it. They can also discuss on the topics which they are interested in. I like the games section under Youth Media for my students. For example,  there is a game called Win White House which is designed for elementary school, middle school, high school and even college.  I tried to play this game and I found by discussing with others at this game, students not only extend their vocabularies, improve their reading skills and speech, but also they engage in the real world like education issues, politics, healthcare, retirement security, alternative energy and global corporation, etc.  I always believe that the purpose of education is not just passing the exam and getting diplomas. I agree that "For years educators based the purpose of education on the definition by John Dewey, restated by Gene Carter , Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of ASCD, " —that the general purpose of school is to transfer knowledge and prepare young people to participate in America's democratic society." 

Connectivism through Social network

    

     
     When I watched the video  Alan Levine-New Media Consortium, it is my first time to realize the importance of building connections with colleagues in and beyond my field. It is true that "I can put out my ignorance to my colleagues. And then they can help me out through emails, blogs and RRS, etc." It is really important for me to be able to stay connected with people through social network; especially the technologies now change even when I am writing this blog. 

     I join a group which explores what the flip can do to promote English language proficiency for ELLs and for ESL and EFL teachers and for mainstream educators with ELLs on Flipped Learning Network. It is also my first time to know what flipped classroom it is. "The flipped classroom is a pedagogical model in which the typical lecture and homework elements of a course are reversed. Short video lectures are viewed by students at home before the class session, while in-class time is devoted to exercises, projects, or discussions." I will definitely use flipped classrooms in my future teaching. Since my students can listen to my lectures at home and make notes according to their speed and understandings. Then we can practice more and I can answer their questions in the class. However, when I saw the discussions post on the forum of my group, I notice that some experienced teachers make a good point that there are real some limitations on teaching second language on flipped classrooms.  Since the key of teaching second language is to interact with students. As language teachers we cannot just depend on giving related videos and lectures to students and let them learn at home. Moreover, there are so many distractions to study at home. We still need to interact with students in the class and do a lot of practices. Another concern is that teachers can answer students questions after they listening to flipped classrooms. But how about the students who don't listen to it before class? They will have no clues in the class and gradually lose interests and motivations on learning. Therefore, I feel it is so necessary for me to join in this kind of group that I can learn from experienced teachers on my field and adjust my teaching methods.

Connectivism

 
   

       I fell that A learner is like an iOS system which should be updated all the time from reading Connectivism: A Learning Theory for the Digital Age. "Our ability to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we know today. A real challenge for any learning theory is to actuate knowledge at the point of application. When knowledge, however, is needed, but not known, the ability to plug into sources to meet the requirements becomes a vital skill. As knowledge continues to grow and evolve. And access to what is needed is more important than what the learner currently possesses." I am also in TESOL program. When I first took linguistic this course, I was shocked and a little bit frustrated. Because the phonetic symbols which I learned at the beginning of my English learning journey are much more different than nowadays'. I had to study phonetic symbols again on my master course.  So just as the author said that "our ability to learn what we need for tomorrow is more important than what we know today."

    I feel a learner is like a network after watching The Impact of Social Mediaon Learning. "Because our learning today is on forming networks with each other." "We need to externalize our thoughts in order to have the ability to connect with others." For example, when we have dialogues with experts from around the world or individual learners, we express ourselves to externalize our knowledge. As a result, our knowledge increases. I agree that nowadays we not only learn the knowledge which teachers bring into our brains, we also find answers by ourselves through internet. Another example is that when I made a trip plan for my dad's visit this year, I went to experienced travelers' blogs to see their traveling strategies. I also left questions on their blogs and reacted with them. Without this kind of connection, I will not have clues on our trip. And I don't think I can get answers from my professors and friends. 

    

Diigo vs Pinterest

       Diigo is more about academic. The name "Diigo" is an acronym from "Digest of Internet Information, Groups and Other stuff".When I first knew Diigo from assignment, I felt I would definitely use this tool. Because I can access my favorite websites from any computer not just mine at home.  File a website with multiple tags instead of just putting it in just one folder. In this way I can well organize my saved website and find them efficiently. In the past I saved a lot of websites through favorites and bookmarks. However, gradually I give up to look for the websites I saved. Because there are so many websites that I get confused and crazy when I search for them. Resources are categorised with keywords which can be found through search drives on Diigo.  Diigo also has the ability to show highlighted text on websites and for sticky notes to explain to the website. Pinterest does not have this capability and only saves websites that have an image associated with the page, accompanied by a similar feature to comment on the information. Diigo provides the ability to set up unlimited groups, It is useful if teaching multiple sections or if you share different resources with different groups of people. Diigo has the ability to host a discussion based on a particular comment or resource as well. With Pinterest users can only interact by commenting on other user’s pins or to follow their board creations.

     I remember I know Pinterest earlier than Diigo. I got to know Pinterest from my home-stay mum who is a watercolor painter. She always gets good ideas on drawing from Pinterest. She also finds interesting handicraft designs for me. And then we follow the instructions to make our own handicraft arts. One of my friends even got her wedding design ideas from Pinterest. She had a wonderful and special wedding in Taiwan. For me I like to pin fashionable sites like clothes, makeup, hairstyles. I also pin healthy diet sites because I am losing weight now. Especially, after pinning good healthy diet articles I can share them with my Facebook friends. I like the feelings that my friends on Facebook and Twitter follow me. I can also buy clothes from the images I pin. Maybe someday I will set up my business on Pinterest like selling Chinese traditional handicraft arts, souvenir and help my American mum sell her paintings. So I feel Pinterest is more enjoyable. I really find Pinterest is a place where people can go to get ideas for any project or interest in their life. And as you encounter great ideas and discover new things that you didn’t even know were out there, you can pin them and make them part of your life through boards, which serve as big catalogs of objects. So I will definitely use Pinterest as well for my career and daily life.

Data enables learners to find answers and education for themselves.

Education Change and Challenge

Darren Cannel

     “In education the use it or lose it may mean, if you don't use technology for learning. You may lose relevance. An educator must be relevant. The students we are teaching today are an instant pudding, drive through, microwave download-it-from-the Internet, media driven generation. Therefore, teachers must be innovative to keep their interest and to inspire in them a creative curiosity." Darren is right if we put a teacher from 100 years ago into today's class, he could not skip a beat and he would be lost. Honestly, when I first came to study in America, I was shocked and overwhelmed by the technologies I was required to use school's system like ublearns to submit assignment, to study in a group by using Google Docs and creating blogs for my future students. However, I have to learn new educational technologies, since it is the trend for nowadays' and future's education. If I don't learn new educational technologies, I will not be relevant and lose connection with my students. I cannot be a qualified and helpful teacher.

The Future of Learning,  Networked Society

Ericsson

     “Teachers do not need to answer questions since answers are everywhere. From years’ measurements learners can find the answers for themselves.” I feel it is really true. Because now when I do not understand something, I will Google it to find answers. I will also watch YouTube and even use Facebook to contact with friends from all over the world to help me solve problems. There are a lot of useful sources to get answers instead of just asking teachers and wise people now. I notice that for my generation, if I cannot solve problems by myself through seeking answers from Internet, I will be laughed at and I cannot further pursue my study.

     Connect to learn: "Connectivity is actually opening up the world. The students can actually now communicate with other students, say in London.” I agree with that education is limited by what teachers can tell students and the teachers are limited by the information, which the limited amounts of textbooks provide. I am impressed by the village--Bonsaaso, which is located in Ghana opened up connectivity with the world. Students start seeing world in different ways. They are more exposed to information and knowledge. It is true that as long as there is a network, there is a hope that any place can connect with the world and children can get education. In China, there are so many villages like Bonsaaso. Since the living and teaching conditions are so bad that few teachers are willing to give up great opportunities to teach in big cities. People who live in these villages become poorer and poorer and they cannot change both their and their children’s lives. Every time when I hear this kind of news, I feel heartbroken. However, it is really hard to change this reality. I don’t blame the teachers who don’t want to teach in remote areas. Since everyone has the rights to choose their lives which they want to have. But children who grow up in these areas do need education. From this video I think if Chinese government can develop network in remote areas, children can gain the opportunity to study and change their lives by themselves. And I am willing to make my best effort to teach students from these remote and backward regions through Internet.

     Honestly, I don't realize online education websites enable children from poor family to get free education until I get to know some great websites like Knewton and Coursera. These websites are awesome since more and more children will get opportunities to study and make themselves become better. These children can also interact with other learners from online learning communities, which are same as on campus learning communities. These websites also have designed individual classes for individuals. I agree that different students learn in different ways. Teachers cannot ask each students learn in the same way from a class which has 60 students. Therefore, these websites make more students to have interest and motivation to learn. I have a friend, who is very creative and smart cannot good scores from her major. I notice that she cannot sit in the classroom for a whole day, however, she learns more efficiently by learning from the website like Coursera or reference books. After watching this week's videos, I am more sure that students learn in different ways. I also encourage her to keep on studying in the ways which work for her and do not compare herself with others. I believe one day she will get better scores.