The Value of Connectivism

By Patricia Deubel, Ph.D.

Today’s students have come to expect learning on demand. They are not afraid of technology, and speed is the name of the game. They multitask, think less linearly than those of us over 30, enjoy fantasy as an element of their lives, are less tolerant of passive activities, and use their tools to stay connected with each other. Nevertheless, this situation has implications for educators.

I thought about this scenario in relationship to the eye-opening experience I recently had while listening to an archived Web presentation by George Siemens from Canada’s University of Manitoba. He was discussing “connectivism,” his theory of learning in the digital age. I was intrigued by his theory, but wondered: Does his theory have merit? Do we need another theory of learning? Is anyone buying into this? How is it different from constructivism, which also raised my eyebrows when I first learned about it way back when? However, the more I thought and read about connectivism, I began to see his point...

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Follett’s Acquisition of TetraData to Help Districts Maximize Their ROI

Follett Software Co., a provider of integrated, browser-based applications that centralize the management of a school district’s educational resources, has acquired TetraData Corp., a provider of data warehousing, analysis, and reporting solutions for K-12 school districts...

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Boston Public Library to Launch SchoolRooms Portal for K-12 Students

The Boston Public Library (BPL) has selected the SirsiDynix SchoolRooms online exploration, discovery, and learning portal for K-12 students, teachers, and parents...

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Ken-A-Vision Acquires Camera Product Line

Ken-A-Vision has acquired all of the presentation and educational camera assets, as well as the camera business, from ClearOne Communications...

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2006-07 School Year to Mark Dell TechKnow’s Largest Class

Dell TechKnow, Dell’s signature initiative to help underserved middle school students gain access to and learn about technology, is gearing up for 10,000 students in the 2006-07 school year, marking its largest enrollment ever...

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NEC Contest Celebrates Innovative Classrooms

Do you have a truly inspirational story about how a projector or plasma display changed your classroom? NEC Corporation of America wants to reward the most unique, creative applications of display technology. Educators are encouraged to submit a story and picture of their room, and the best educational application will win five NEC LT30 projectors. In addition, the public can vote for their favorite submission on NEC’s Web site...

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Share Your Best Practices

T.H.E. Journal is currently looking for the following types of articles for future issues and for our eNewsletter, T.H.E. SmartClassroom:

• School Perspectives - discuss a specific topic, trend, or concern about education technology.
• Wishlist/Shortlist - a simple list of the technology (e.g., wireless, laptops, etc.) you're looking at to solve a challenge in your school/district, and an accompanying 'shortlist' of vendors you're looking at to solve those challenges.
• Case Studies – have you implemented technology and learned a lot from the experience? If so, share your efforts about what worked -- and what didn't.

If you have a potential article, or questions about the above topics, please e-mail [email protected]

Courses on Integrating Technology from T.H.E. Institute

T.H.E. Institute is offering online professional development courses to help educators comply with NCLB requirements and use technology more successfully in the classroom. The cost is $149 per course, which includes a $10 per person per course administration fee for documentation of clock hours and a certificate of completion. Course moderation and graduate credit are additional options; volume discounts are available. Anyone who enrolls in a course will receive individual access to the netTrekker site, as well as free individual access to United Learning's unitedstreaming site. In addition, special pricing is available for educators in districts that have purchased Glencoe/McGraw-Hill's TechCONNECT. Integrating Technology in the Classroom Courses: Social Studies, Science, English/Language Arts, and Mathematics. T.H.E. Institute with AOL At-School also is offering 'Internet Literacy - Making the Most of the Web.' The cost is $79 per person and the course is designed to be useful both for educators new to using technology in teaching and learning and for tech-savvy veterans. For complete course details and to register, click here.

Awesome Clipart for Educators

Awesome Clipart for Educators offers educators FREE clipart, backgrounds, fonts, icons, worksheets, wallpaper and more. Click here to see how easy searching for clipart can be!

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