What open educational resources can learn from the Microsoft Yahoo deal

A fundamental opportunity to elevate learning on every scale, from local to global, is to make educational resources highly networked. The first step that could make this possible had to be making these materials open online, and much of that is happening. The crucial next step is the linking among the materials and among the learners. What will emerge from doing that is a global commons of cognitive information that is open, virtual, interactive, interlinked, self-updating, and vetted by several levels of authority. Doing this holds the potential for the torrid growth of the global cognitive commons using the power of networking to reconfigure learning to our connecting world.

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From Concept to Commons

BACKGROUND

About five years ago I met Barry and Pam at the Atlantic Wildlife Institute, which is located about 15 KM outside of Sackville on a large property bordering the headwaters of the Tantramar River. At the time, AWI consisted of about a dozen buildings, each designed for a specific type of animal care.

The Institute takes in wildlife in the same way that a researcher would take air or water samples. Each animal tells a story and through hands-on care and possible release, we can learn about the causes of displacement, most of which are due to human actions. However, caring for animals is not enough. What is learned has to be passed on to others, so that the entire community can work to maintain the diversity of species necessary for life. There’s more information on the AWI website. Too often, environmental knowledge gets passed on only to those who are already committed, so AWI also reaches out through programs such as youth at risk. AWI is really about learning.

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Postcards from around the world arriving daily

I’ve gotten three more postcards recently, and here they are!

The first is from Mr. Stacey in the UK! His postcard is of Swansea Bay… (click for larger)

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Game-making with students - resources & rationale from Australia

Australia has long been a stronghold of digital game-making and programming as an academic subject. Why Australia? My friend Tony Forster says this, “I’m wary of stereotypes but we do have a national stereotype of making do with improvised junkyard creations, that fits with taking game freeware and repurposing it. We seem to lean more to constructivism than the US. The US leans particularly towards instruction in the current pendulum swing.”

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Postcards from around the world

Would you be willing to send me a postcard?

My daughter’s kindergarten class started a little project where they made a gingerbread man and were asked to send it to someone far away and ask that person to send back a postcard.

That got me to thinking, what if I digitally “sent” the gingerbread man and asked folks in my network to send a postcard my way? That could be interesting…

So, here is my 5 year-old daughter’s gingerbread man!

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From report cards to eBay model accreditation

Although I hesitated on a very busy day to commit to 15-minutes to listen to George Siemens’ new presentation “A world without courses,” I am thrilled that I did so. Although I am not sure he completely realizes it, I think he has answered the puzzle of how accreditation will occur in the new education that is emerging.

Putting it in the metaphor of the GoldenSwamp - - the swamp of the Internet that if full of the gold of knowledge for learning — how would accreditation for learning emerge from the perplexing messiness of the open Internet? Siemens mentions that the answer might be in what happens at eBay. Of course! Quality of merchandise, sellers and buyers emerges to gain respect and reputation. That, exactly, is accreditation, which Webster’s defines as: 1 : to put (as by common consent) into a reputable or outstanding category : consider, recognize, or acclaim as rightfully.
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Postcards from New York

A special thanks to Lisa Parisi who had kids make hand-drawn postcards for my daughter’s kindergarten class!

One is tough to see, but it’s of Long Island Beach, NY and the second os from Manhattan.

As some of you know, I’ll have my first ever visit to NY in March for AERA. I’ve flown into JFK but that doesn’t count.

Thanks, South Paris Collaborative!

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Blogging From Guantanamo to My Classroom

From the “15 Minutes of Fame” and the “It Feels Weird Actually Posting About This” Departments comes news that this month’s issue of Teacher Magazine is not only carrying a feature length story about yours truly but has for some insane reason actually decided to put my picture on the cover under the heading “The Blogvangelist.” (Free registration required.) I’m flattered, obviously, and somewhat embarrassed by the attention. (My kids, however, think it’s cool and actually took out the garbage this morning.) Regardless, the story does focus primarily on the work, and includes quotes from such luminaries as Alan November,Darren Kuropatwa, Anne Davis, Sree Sreenivasan, Chris Lehmann, and others.

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Latest international collaboration projects from iEARN

The International Education and Resource Network (iEARN) is an online clearinghouse for collaboration projects for K-12 students, focusing on international issues. There are many ongoing opportunities; most are free. From their latest newsletter:

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Dispatches From the Front Lines #324

“So, are you the principal here?”

“Yep.”

“How many kids?”

“About 1,300 K-12.”

“Wow. That’s a mix.”

She smiles.

“So how much technology do you have?”

“Quite a bit actually, but it’s been difficult of late.”

“Oh? How’s that?”

“Well, we’ve been a 1-1 school for seven years, but we haven’t been able to buy any laptops for the last three.”

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