Comments on: What isn’t the right answer regarding online learning? http://www.ijohnpederson.com/2009/10/what-isnt-the-right-answer-regarding-online-learning/ Not a lot of room for slightly-out-of-the-ordinary. Wed, 01 Sep 2010 01:40:39 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Michael Walker http://www.ijohnpederson.com/2009/10/what-isnt-the-right-answer-regarding-online-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-171 Michael Walker Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:45:01 +0000 http://www.ijohnpederson.com/?p=139#comment-171 This post reminds me of the question: If a question can be answered by doing a Google search, is it really worth asking? When I posed that question in my district, many said "yes", there are basic things students need to know. I agree with Ann V, that helping students "discover how to learn" should be our focus. In order for us to get where we "need to be", we have to all be on the same page as to where that is! And yes, that is REALLY messy! I think the "Networked Student" is close to my definition of where we need to be, but that may not be the same definition as Arne Duncan or (Insert the name of your Education Commissioner/Superintendent/principal Here). Maybe we need to just go around the wall instead of trying to go over the top of it! This post reminds me of the question: If a question can be answered by doing a Google search, is it really worth asking? When I posed that question in my district, many said “yes”, there are basic things students need to know.
I agree with Ann V, that helping students “discover how to learn” should be our focus.
In order for us to get where we “need to be”, we have to all be on the same page as to where that is! And yes, that is REALLY messy! I think the “Networked Student” is close to my definition of where we need to be, but that may not be the same definition as Arne Duncan or (Insert the name of your Education Commissioner/Superintendent/principal Here).
Maybe we need to just go around the wall instead of trying to go over the top of it!

]]> By: Anne V http://www.ijohnpederson.com/2009/10/what-isnt-the-right-answer-regarding-online-learning/comment-page-1/#comment-170 Anne V Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:10:24 +0000 http://www.ijohnpederson.com/?p=139#comment-170 Off the top of my head... We need to help students (and ourselves, along the way) discover how to learn, what their innate talents are (music? arts? seeing connections? verbal explanations? written expression?), what their interests are, and where they can feel useful in the world (right now, in the classroom; someday - sooner or later - in the world) How we accomplish this? Through the tools of technology, of course, because it connects us to information and is so often the means of dissemination. But also through interpersonal skills: face-to-face teaching and collaboration and (technology helps again here) collaboration at a distance. I think that in many situations (art, cooking, crafts...) that a great deal of time needs to be hands-on and messy. Off the top of my head…

We need to help students (and ourselves, along the way) discover how to learn, what their innate talents are (music? arts? seeing connections? verbal explanations? written expression?), what their interests are, and where they can feel useful in the world (right now, in the classroom; someday – sooner or later – in the world)

How we accomplish this? Through the tools of technology, of course, because it connects us to information and is so often the means of dissemination. But also through interpersonal skills: face-to-face teaching and collaboration and (technology helps again here) collaboration at a distance. I think that in many situations (art, cooking, crafts…) that a great deal of time needs to be hands-on and messy.

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