Often I come across lists of free learning tools and those you have to pay for. However, they always produce a lot of retweets on Twitter. So here is a list of lists that refer to learning tools and in addition blogs that I came across:
Directory of over 3.000 Learning Tools by the Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies (C4LPT). The center was founded by Jane Hart, a Social Learning Consultant.
Back to School with the Class of Web 2.0 – has been compiled in 2006 and is not a top list per se but a great starting point when it comes to tools useful in school settings. This is also part 1 and there are 2 more available.
Searching the Internet is a common activity to inquire or learn something about a certain subject. Choose the Best Search for Your Information Need is a list of sites helping you to find what you are looking for.
Tim Stahmer’s top 101 web sites for teachers. To put it in his own words: “Not the whole web… just the best for teaching and learning“.
I came across this very well put together video a little while ago. It is about the generation that is moving into power as you read this: Generation We.
In 2015 in America (I believe the U.S. that is) 74 Million people are considered to be part of the population group Baby Boomers. They have been born between 1946 – 1964. This group is followed by the Generation X which incorporated all those born between 1965 and 1977. In the eBook “Generation We” by Eric Greenberg with Karl Weber the Generation X group is considered “… a politically and socially conservative cohort that has struggled to define itself against the vast and dominant Boomer group it followed.” I this makes me part of this group. I never considered myself to struggle with my place in society nor feeling suppressed by my parents generation.. However, the new Generation are the Millennials born between the years 1978 till 2000. What this generation has to deal with and what their opportunities are is shown in the video below.
Eric Greenberg is using the online social networking to promote the Millennials as the Gen(eration) We and to activate members of this section of the population. This generation will be more diverse than any other before (White 63%, Hispanic 18%, Black 14%, Asian 5%).Their education is good and who would have guessed that, they will are also the most wired ones. Interested in more about Gen We? Take a look in to the above mentioned eBook.
All these facts and predictions are of interest when we take a look into online learning and the ease this generation is using technology in the educational field. Generation X needs to shape up to find the right ways to cater towards the next generations needs. a simple PowerPoint presentation based in a flash widget and maybe some underlying sound does not seem to be enough anymore. More so the opportunity for learners to interact with each other and the content itself while learning. Rearranging content while discussing and arguing for the right solution seems more the way to get cognitively involved than simply absorb some fixed and inflexible content.
I know, I know, there are a lot of trends and predictions being published and released right now. After all it is this time of the year to reflect on what happened and to predict what might be.
However, I just received the wwwtools for education newsletter with a nice assembly of “Trends from 2006, Projections for 2007… and Beyond“. Graeme Daniel put a nice list of notes and trends in education together. He split these different areas up into the following categories:
Highlights: Technology in education, 2006,
Technology 2006,
Forecast for Technology, 2007,
At the hardware trade shows,
The iPhone – Rising Star of Macworld?
More mobile and wireless trends,
Converging technologies: Computers, TV, Video and Net,
A mixed bag (e.g. Web 2.0, Nanotechnology),
Just for fun, and
Books.
Enjoy once again the trends of 2006 and predictions for 2007. If you want to sign up for the wwwtools for education newsletter you can do so by clicking here.
Jay Cross just published his “Presentation: No more tachers, no more books” (mp3 only) that he gave at Training Solutions Conference & Expo, held in Denver on October the 24th 2006 online. For all of you who like to look into the informal way of learning I would recommend to listen into his talk.
Brandon Hall just publishes a new report how organizations like McDonalds, Microsoft, Health Partners and Bank of America organize pleasant work environments for their employees. The report features 21 case studies on 99 pages and in addition to “high-profile companies” it also takes a look a the vendors who create their content.
A free excerpt is available and contains the table of content, introduction plus one sample case study and an excerpt of one course. The full report is available online for $345 and can be ordered here.
