If you’re interested, I’ve posted the slides from my presentation this morning - Rethinking Teaching: Networks and Social Connections to the Pacific Northwest Higher Education Teaching and Learning Conference. A somewhat interesting confluence of factors - social learning, activity theory, network theory, and technology - is occurring. And it seems to be accelerating. Recent conferences I’ve attended indicate a shift in educator mindsets from tools (blogs, wikis, podcasts) to concepts (networked learning, distributed cognition, rethinking teaching, etc.). Nice to see.
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I just wanted to thank you, George, for inspiring the shift you mention. I have come away from the conference with a completely new perspective on both the tools and the concepts, and this is in large part a result of the tone you set in your plenary speech. My mind is racing with the possible applications and ramifications this will have for me as an educator. (And, here I am blogging for the first time in my life! Wow!) Thank you!
This is my first ever comment to a blog. I am just beginning to see the tip of the educational iceberg out there. Your talk at the conference gave me so much to think about. I have just begun to dip my toe into the waters and after this workshop I am ready to jump in. I believe strongly in staying connected with my students, but in all honesty I had not put much effort in having my students stay connected with each other. It was always about me and them - not all of us. Using tools to help them network and collaborate open a whole new realm of possibilities. Thank you so much for that. I only hope I can find the right tools, as I most am a novice in this world of social learning and network theory.