LearningTimes Green Room

Susan and Dan discuss mobile computing in this brief episode.

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Show Notes:

The conversation begins with reference to a blog posting by Marc Rosenberg.

The rest of the discussion centers on what we do with our phones and ways they could be used more effectively. Some of Susan’s and Dan’s uses:

• Reading email
• Reading office documents
• Photos
• Web browsing and staying up on web resources

This raises questions about how to design for mobile learning. The trick will be to chunk content into manageable segments.

A few resources:

To test if your content is mobile ready- http://mr.dev.mobi

Software to design mobile learning – Hot Lava Mobile

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). You can also find us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ltgreenroom.

Susan and Dan talk to Jim Dator, University of Hawaii, and one of the keynote speakers for the upcoming TCC conference. Jim is a futurist and will be looking at the possible futures of education.

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Show Notes:

Societies have gone through several stages. What comes after the information society? Jim calls it the dream society of icons and aesthetic experiences and you’ll have to hear about this at the conference.

Will we get to the dream society? Jim outlines reinforces that the future is not one, but alternative futures. There are factors that may prevent us from getting where we want to be: energy, environment, economic and governing problems.

Education has been oriented toward one future. What do we do knowing that there may be alternative futures? If we take sustainability seriously, this may change who, what and how we educate.

Listeners, get registered for the conference so you can interact with Jim and learn more about this!

http://www.tcconlineconference.org/

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).

In this special edition, Susan and Dan speak with Nancy White about some provocative views on the use of communities for learning. The conversation continues during Nancy’s keynote presentation at the International Online Conference 2010.




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Show Notes:

Susan and Dan are joined by Nancy White who offers a compelling preview of her IOC keynote (March 17th, 2010).

The topic: We are navigating a tumultuous and very interesting transition of how we think about learning. We are stepping beyond the boundaries of “course,” questioning the continuum of formal and informal learning — all in a time when technology is fundamentally changing what it means to “be together.” From this context, the idea of using the social structure of “community” for learning has come center stage. Community has shown to be valuable in some contexts. But should it be the structure? Is structuring our educational frameworks around community central, or does it deserve a different place along the continuum of individual–community–networked learning. When is community the sweet spot? When is it the trap?

Susan, Dan and Nancy invite listeners to register for the 8th Annual International Online Conference on Teaching and Learning. Nancy will open the conference with her March 17th keynote. LTGR listeners: use this discount code upon signing up for a special $10 discount: gr45z

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). You can also find us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ltgreenroom.

Susan and Dan welcome Dan’s mother, Elfrieda Balzer. Mrs. Balzer was visiting Dan from Canada and reflected on technology development when she was a kid. Dan asked her to talk about some of the things she experienced growing up in the 1930s and 1940s.



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Show Notes:

For her first experience with educational technology, Elfrieda recalled the process of making copies. On Friday afternoon, her teacher would fill a cookie sheet with gel, apply and image with indelible ink, and eventually press paper onto the gel to transfer the design. That was the technology prior to mimeographs and photocopiers.

There were times Elfrieda’s family had a phone and other times when they didn’t. The trio talked about party lines and privacy. When her sister had a baby, she had to run to the grocery store to use the payphone to call the hospital.

In 1940-41, her father purchased a short-wave radio, which was a bit of a secret in her house. This was his way to stay informed about World War II. Otherwise they got their news from the newspaper. Our expectations of how and when we get our news is dramatically different these days.

A few numbers: the radio may have cost $100, a car cost approximately $1000 and her house cost $3000.

Elfrieda was being introduced to computers on the job she had. However, it was when her children were all abroad that she learned to use the computer to send her weekly emails. She reflected that they’ve lost that now that phone calls are more affordable.

Other than television, most technology was accepted by Elfrieda’s generation and not resisted. However, she commented that advances did not progress as rapidly. The speed makes it harder to adapt.

Dan asks listeners to tell us your first memories of technology and how you make decisions today about whether to embrace new developments. 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). You can also find us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ltgreenroom.

In this episode, Susan and Dan make resolutions as instructional designers. They talk about changes they’d like to make in the coming year, and ask you to share yours.

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Show Notes:

Happy New Year! Susan and Dan are making resolutions as instructional designers. They talk about changes they’d like to make in the coming year.

Susan is going to revamp, refresh or retool any course older than 18 months.

Dan is going to write an executive summary of the learning outcomes and activities from the prior year, pulling together data and feedback. He will interpret the value training has added.

Both will look at how they assess learning. Susan would like to focus on “what difference this will make in 3 years,” but she wants learners to have that sense as they move through the course (not in 3 years).

Both will concentrate on alignment of objectives, activities and assessment.

Dan is going to try to do one thing at a time. Good luck, Dan! This involves time management and time for reflection.

Susan will be going simpler with activities, looking at the tools she’s asking students to work with.

Dan is going to sort through his “stuff” and decide what he needs to keep. Here are a couple links Susan recently sent Dan:

Two postings on the qualities of instructional designers from Connie Malamed.

• http://theelearningcoach.com/elearning_design/10-qualities-of-the-ideal-instructional-designer/#respond
• http://theelearningcoach.com/elearning_design/35-more-qualities-of-the-ideal-instructional-designer/

Clark Quinn’s blog that Dan appreciated: The Great eLearning Garbage Vortex

Listeners, we’d love to hear about your instructional design changes or initiatives for 2010. 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). You can also find us on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/ltgreenroom.

This is a special episode in which Susan asks listeners to help her with some research. As part of a conference session, Susan wants to address “what’s hot in instructional design”. However, she wants to use social networking to collect ideas. Listen to her explain to Dan what she’s up to and then respond to her on Twitter at smanning2 using hashtag #freshIDtrends

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Listeners, share your thoughts! Continue the discussion by posting to Twitter (using hashtag #freshIDtrends), 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).