This week we are featuring a blog post from our "sister" blog, the Learn + Teach + Share. This was originally posted there on May 29, 2013.
This week a colleague of mine, Mary Hendra, shared with me an interesting article from FacultyFocus.com. In it, author Joan Flaherty discusses the gap she perceives between herself, a non-digital “native,” and her students, members of the so-called “millennial generation,” a group that has grown up with digital technology.
Topics: Professional Development, Antisemitism, Social Media, School Culture, Media Skills, DMIN, Online Learning, Critical Thinking, Facing Technology
Where to put the block? Forge ahead or play it safe and risk losing people to starvation?
Topics: Antisemitism, Gaming, Decision-making, Critical Thinking, Facing Technology
The office is closed today as winter storm Nemo bears down on New England. I am sitting at my parents’ house with my dog at my feet watching reporters on all the different news channels get dangerously close to the ocean surf to demonstrate for viewers just how dangerous it is to get that close to the surf. Twitter and Facebook are in overdrive with friends posting photos of their backyards, front yards, and buried cars. Someone posted a link to a news spot from last night featuring her father and as I’m watching that on my computer the same spot is replayed on the television. To say that I live in a tech saturation world would seem like an understatement at this point. But I love it. I love how easy it is to remain connected to friends from around the country and how quickly I can meet new folks to engage with in conversation and debate…the only problem is finding the proper online venue to do so. Between spamming and vulgar tirades, online discussion boards are hit or miss at best. Fortunately though, there are online spaces that welcome and encourage intelligent discussion and through my involvement with Facing History’s online learning department I am constantly amazed by the individuals that come together to learn and challenge each other in our programs.
Topics: Professional Development, Antisemitism, Social Media, Online Learning, Critical Thinking, Facing Technology
Digital Learning Day is coming up on February 6, and there will no doubt be a lot of conversation and debate about whether online tools can help students prepare for career and college. While career and college preparation are important goals, they aren’t the sum of the purposes of schools: Our educational institutions also have an obligation to prepare students for citizenship and for a reflective, ethical, and well-examined life.
Topics: Antisemitism, Media Skills, DMIN, Critical Thinking, Facing Technology