Archive for the 'Education' Category
January 21st, 2008 by Jorge Goncalves
Unlocking the promise of open educational resources: The Cape Town Open Education Declaration. ‘The Cape Town Open Education Declaration arises from a small but lively meeting convened in Cape Town in September 2007. The aim of this meeting was to accelerate efforts to promote open resources, technology and teaching practices in education.
Convened by the Open Society Institute and the Shuttleworth Foundation, the meeting gathered participants with many points of view from many nations. This group discussed ways to broaden and deepen their open education efforts by working together.
The first concrete outcome of this meeting is the Cape Town Open Education Declaration. It is at once a statement of principle, a statement of strategy and a statement of commitment. It meant to spark dialogue, to inspire action and to help the open education movement grow.’
The Declarion (excerpt): We are on the cusp of a global revolution in teaching and learning. Educators worldwide are developing a vast pool of educational resources on the Internet, open and free for all to use. These educators are creating a world where each and every person on earth can access and contribute to the sum of all human knowledge. They are also planting the seeds of a new pedagogy where educators and learners create, shape and evolve knowledge together, deepening their skills and understanding as they go. [continue reading]
Related: Stephen Downes Criticizing the Cape Town Declaration
You can sign the Declaration here
January 4th, 2008 by Jorge Goncalves
Leaders of theYear 2007: For the 20th year, T&L is proud to honor outstanding educators. In the following pages we bring you profiles of innovation, of courage, of determination, and most important, of dedication to the future of students. You will read about: a superintendent who turned around a “failing community” through the use of technology; an e-learning specialist who restructured an entire state’s approach professional development; a technology director who, against great odds, developed a digital academy for at-risk students; and a graphic arts teacher who single-handedly trained small-town students to compete and win on a global with 21st-century technologies.’
Awards of Excellence: ‘At this quarter-century mark in our Awards of Excellence program, we are happy to recognize 54 high-quality offerings for the 21st-century education market. From 120 entries, our 32 educator-judges and editorial team had the tough job of whittling down this broad selection of practical and innovative tools and resources.’
December 22nd, 2007 by Jorge Goncalves
Saint Joseph is a well established University. Founded in Philadelphia by the Society of Jesus in 1851, Saint Joseph’s University is home to 4150 full-time undergraduates and 3450 graduate, executive and non-traditional students.
Saint Joseph’s University now offers an opportunity for those interested in obtaining an online teacher certification. The Online Accelerated Teacher Certification program (OATCERT) is designed to aid working professionals, who currently hold a Bachelor’s degree within a field certifiable for secondary education, earn their initial secondary (grades 7-12) teaching certificate. The certificate program can be completed in 24 credit hours.
Saint Joseph’s University Online is Regionally Accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The Middle States Commission on Higher Education is the unit of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools that accredits degree-granting colleges and universities in the Middle States region.
More information about Saint Joseph’s University Online or about the online programs can be obtained in the excellent and clear Frequently Asked Questions section.
October 18th, 2007 by Jorge Goncalves
The Economist Debate Series:
First Debate, Oct. 15th-23rd, 2007: Effectiveness of Technology - Does new technology add to the quality of education?
In favour of the proposition is Sir John Daniel, President and CEO of The Commonwealth of Learning. Opposing the motion is Dr Robert Kozma, Emeritus Director and Principal Scientist at SRI International.
Second Debate: National Competitiveness - Should countries compete to attract qualified students regardless of nationality and residence?
Third Debate: Social Networking - Does it bring positive change to education?
October 14th, 2007 by Jorge Goncalves
This post is a little bit far away from online learning but it is Sunday and a friend has called my attention to this concept and I like it! A Spanish immersion school located at Costa Rica (Playa Tamarindo) offers not only Spanish language courses but also surf and scuba diving programmes. The overall idea is to study Spanish in the morning and take surf or dive classes in the afternoon. Very refreshing and motivating! Learn Spanish & Surf Partnership School offers several options, the site is very informative and is undeniably an original option for those interested in Spanish immersion learning.
October 1st, 2007 by Jorge Goncalves
Art Education 2.0 - Using New Technology in Art Classrooms. ‘Art Education 2.0 is for art educators at all levels who are interested in using digital technologies to enhance and transform teaching and learning in their classrooms. The aim of Art Education 2.0 is to explore ways of using technology to promote effective art education practices, encourage cultural exchanges and joint creative work, and support artistic projects and curricular activities deemed important by members. Art Education 2.0 is a social network created by Craig Roland on Ning.’
Ning in Education - Using Ning for Educational Social Networks: the social network for those using the Ning social networking platform in education.
Ning social networks tagged ‘education’
September 5th, 2007 by Jorge Goncalves
Edutopia: Academic Scrapbooking: Snapshots of Learning. ‘A social studies teacher uses photo journals to make learning more personal and immediate for her students. Here’s an assignment: Grab a stack of acid-free paper, some glue sticks, and a few photographs, and set your students to work on a scrapbook.
Sounds a little like arts-and-crafts time? Perhaps, but academic scrapbooking is actually being used as a powerful classroom tool to help students better connect with the subject at hand, from lessons on ancient Greece to an exploration of themes of love in literature.
Heidi Willard, a social studies teacher and enthusiastic advocate of academic scrapbooking, describes it as “personalizing the curriculum.” Students get away from the textbook - but not the lesson - and complete a hands-on assignment that allows organized classroom movement and results in better retention of the material. “My experience as a teacher has taught me that it is the activity in the classroom they remember,” says Willard, who has used scrapbooking with both special-needs and traditional students.’
September 2nd, 2007 by Jorge Goncalves
OECD Policy Brief: Lifelong Learning and Human Capital (PDF). Introduction: The world of work has seen enormous change over the past couple of decades. Manufacturing jobs account for an ever smaller percentage of the workforce in most developed economies. Indeed, salaries in manufacturing have generally fallen behind those of other sectors. Today, “knowledge workers” – a category covering everything from call-centre workers to architects, teachers and financial employees – are increasingly pivotal to economic success in developed countries.
The potential for individuals and countries to benefit from this emerging knowledge economy depends largely on their education, skills, talents and abilities, that is, their human capital. As a result, governments are increasingly concerned with raising levels of human capital, chiefly through education and training, which today are seen as ever more critical to fuelling economic growth.
However, formal education, which usually runs from about the age of 4 or 5 to the late teens or early 20s, is only one part of forming human capital. In many ways it is more useful to think of human capital formation as a life-long learning process rather than as education.
From an economic and employment perspective, this human potential for lifelong learning is assuming ever greater importance. Old jobs are migrating to places where labour is cheaper. Meanwhile, fast-changing technologies are creating new jobs unheard of only recently or radically altering what workers need to know to perform their existing jobs. Consequently, people now need to continue developing their skills and abilities throughout their working lives.
This Policy Brief looks at the concept of human capital, its increasing importance to economic growth, and how governments and societies can work to develop it during early childhood, the years of formal education and adulthood.
Thoughts Aside: Certain training and testing systems have been aimed at life long learning and the development of human capital (000-077). A major attribute of these courses is the ease of use and flexibility with respect to learning (000-078) and pricing options. Employers can subscribe to an employee education and training program (000-190) by simply signing up and paying per session (000-222) as and when needed.
August 19th, 2007 by Jorge Goncalves
PLOTEUS - Portal on Learning Opportunities Throughout Europe. ‘PLOTEUS was set upon order to respond to the conclusions of the Lisbon and Stockholm European Councils (March 2000 and March 2001), which invited the European Commission and Member States to create a Europe-wide service providing information on jobs and learning opportunities. The purpose of PLOTEUS, just like that of EURES, its counterpart, is to put into effect the right to freedom of movement for European citizens by providing the necessary information.
In its present form, PLOTEUS aims to facilitate navigation among existing information resources on learning opportunities. The work of identifying and classifying the information resources is carried out by the National Resources Centres for Vocational Guidance (Euroguidance) - a European network funded by the Leonardo da Vinci programme and by national authorities.
PLOTEUS aims to help students, job seekers, workers, parents, guidance counsellors and teachers to find out information about studying in Europe. On PLOTEUS you can find all relevant information about life-long learning in Europe.’
August 14th, 2007 by Jorge Goncalves
6th International Conference on Imagination and Education: “Imaginative practice, imaginative inquiry”, 29-31 January 2008, Rydges Hotel by the Lake, Canberra, Australia. ‘The Imaginative Education Research Group (IERG) invites you to join us in our aim to stimulate discussion of imaginative education and its applications in all sites of learning, and to ensure that educational experiences are imaginatively engaging for both teachers and learners.
The conference theme “Imaginative practice, imaginative inquiry” aims to connect a cross-section of educators and administrators from elementary & high schools, universities, professional organisations and work-place settings in a dialogue and exploration of imaginative and creative ways of teaching, learning and conducting educational inquiry.’
Imaginative Education Research Group (IERG). The IERG is a group of researchers, teachers, graduate students, parents and others who would like to make education more effective through Imaginative Education. The Imaginative Education Research Group Portal aim is to introduce the visitors to Imaginative Education theories, principles and practical techniques.
August 14th, 2007 by Jorge Goncalves
CDLP Nuts & Bolts - Distance Learning in Adult Education. ‘Animated tutorial covers distance learning basics, distance learners, popular approaches and how to start a program.’
CDLP - California Distance Learning Project. ‘The California Distance Learning Project goal is to help expand learner access to adult basic education services in California. This goal has four major tasks: 1) Build and Promote a Distance Learning Knowledge Base; 2) Provide Technical Assistance in Implementing Distance Learning; 3) Test New Instructional Delivery Methods / Materials and 4) Help Create a Statewide Distance Learning Infrastructure.’
July 17th, 2007 by Jorge Goncalves
Article: Questioning the Student Use of and Desire for Lecture Podcasts, Laura A. Guertin, Matthew J. Bodek, Sarah E. Zappe, Heeyoung Kim, MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching, Vol. 3, No. 2, June 2007. Abstract: The use of audio files, specifically podcasts, has become more visible and accessible to students in higher education. Despite a lack of pedagogical research on the benefits of podcasting, several universities have adopted the technology of using audio for instruction outside of class and sharing of information. Although institutions and instructors have embraced the technology, have the students? A professor in an introductory geoscience course for nonscience majors recorded the audio from classroom lectures and made these audio files available through the university’s online course management system. Student accesses of the audio files were tracked. The students were surveyed about their knowledge on how to utilize the audio files and if they believed the audio to be of some use. Although percentages were not high in terms of student accesses to individual lectures, and a little over half the students were aware of how to access and utilize the files, all of the students reported a perceived value to having lecture podcasts available.
MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching (JOLT). ‘MERLOT is a free and open resource designed primarily for faculty and students of higher education. The MERLOT Journal of Online Learning and Teaching (JOLT) is a peer-reviewed, online publication addressing the scholarly use of multimedia resources in education. JOLT is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December.’
