Multi-Faceted Refractions (backup version)

Reflections - Online Collaborative Learning for High School Students: A Blended Approach

Note - This is the session I should have been in from the beginning.

This was a research paper shared by Sharon Peters, one of the Women of Web 2.0. Her background can be found at a wiki she set up for the presentation (spetersnecc07.wikispaces.com)

There was a gentleman who was talking as I went in. He had a great concept, what I would call the aggregated school. Essentially, create a school picking the best courses you can find in the virtual spaces and then use it to attract learners (students and teachers) towards a physical space and location. This is a concept that I am going to have to wrap my head around, but the concept is really appealling. this is the best of all worlds and allows one to tap into the best minds and experiences.

Sharon shared how she got the most resistant learners (male athletes, but I know that she was not trying to stereotype) to grow with their learning.

Question about how to engage the lurker (Note: For a large part of my academic and personal career, I could be described as a lurker, but I would rather imagine myself as a sponge. I am engaged, soaking it all in, churning it around in my mind, and then share my thoughts and ideas. It wasn't until recently that I began to get comfortable with my voice to share more openly). Solution is to use blended methods, text, but allow students to record conversation, storyboards, or music to express their thinking. Great concept that we need to heed, although I think that we need to steer students into different methodologies if only to have them discover which method works best for them. Do they intrinsically know, or do they have to be exposed towards discovery.

Sharon will post rubrics for her content on the wiki.

A great and thought provoking commentary and conversation that I wish I had been at in its entirety. I am glad I made the choice I did.


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posted by Unknown @ 9:05 AM