LearningTimes Green Room

Susan talks with educational theorist George Siemens about what his Connectivism theory means in practice. Siemens will present the online Keynote at the upcoming TCC Worldwide Online Conference.



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Show Notes:

Susan talks with Connectivism theorist George Siemens about his upcoming keynote talk at the 15th annual TCC Worldwide Online Conference. George asks: How does the role of the educator and the role of the learner change when we are involved with socially distributed decentralized technologies? How do we teach differently in these environments, and how do learners learn differently in these environments?

George and Susan talk about how big transformations in how we teach and learn happen at the classroom or course level. Social media used within an individual teacher’s classrooms — online or offline — is what enables big transformations to happen system-wide.

When you look at many of the societal or technological trends that are impacting education, there is a sense that because we are experiencing it for the first time, it is new. But many of the things we are looking at today around decentralized, distributed technology are really the revisiting of old theories that have at various points been in place over the last several decades. For example, humanity has always functioned in social networks; it’s as old as sitting around a campfire or huddling together in a cave.

Susan invites listeners to join George for continued exploration of this topic at the 15th annual TCC Worldwide Online Conference. It takes place online April 20-22, 2010.

In this episode, Dan Balzer and guest co-host Jonathan Finkelstein of LearningTimes, interview Susan Manning and Kevin Johnson, co-authors of the all new book Online Education for Dummies. They share some tips and highlights from their new work, and invite listeners to join them for their live online session during IOC 2010.

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Show Notes:

There’s a new book out, and it was co-authored by LearningTimes Green Room’s own Susan Manning together with Kevin Johnson. The book is Online Education for Dummies. It’s a practical hands-on guide for anyone involved in learning online — from admission to graduation.

NOTE: Susan and Kevin will be featured speakers during the 8th Annual International Online Conference (IOC) for Teaching and Learning (March 17-19, 2010). Join them online!

During this virtual book launch podcast, Susan and Kevin describe how useful the book is for online instructors and anyone creating online learning programs. It might be thought of as a manifesto for online learning. What do you need to do as an online facilitator to ensure your learners are having a meaningful experience? Some online instructors have already put the book on their course reading lists to serve as a guide for learners on how to get the most out of their online classes.

The authors talk about some of the tips they share, the process of collaborating to write the book, and how the fun, informal style associated with For Dummies books fit with their personalities.

From the book jacket: “Online Education For Dummies explains the ins and outs of attending a virtual classroom, and provides you with the tools you need to hone your skills or obtain additional certification and degrees. This practical reference not only helps you get the most out of an online course, but also offers a wealth of advice to help you pick the one that matches your interests and needs.”

Listeners, what advice would be on your top 10 tips for new online learners? Share one tip, share two, or share ten! Let’s make a community-generated tip list to help the uninitiated. Continue the discussion by posting at ltgreenroom.org or talk to us in LearningTimes! We facilitate discussion in LearningTimes.org or call us at 1-800-609-9006 x8055 (US and Canada) or 678-255-2174 x8055 (outside US and Canada).