What role does "trust" impact student success

One area that is rarely addressed in schools is the importance of trust in the equation of teaching and learning. Students must place a certain amount of trust in their teacher and the process to be successful. Even though the student sometimes does not understand the point of what they are learning, they must trust that it is going somewhere and they must let you lead them to that place.  As a foster parent, I have seen children that struggle with trusting adults because of trauma really struggle in school and it's not because they are not smart. I believe it has more to do with a distrust of people in general and the idea of "submitting" assignments and "trusting" the teacher is a real struggle in the process of education. The student would rather just plow through a class with as little interaction with authority figures as possible. The child avoids having to trust their peers or teachers and often goes it alone to the detriment of their education and overall grade. Graduation rates of foster kids is extremely low. Nationwide, only about half of youth raised in foster care end up finishing high school? And less than 3% graduate from a 4-year college?

Helping kids build trust needs to be a part of the curriculum for every kid that has experienced trauma. How might schools address this problem?

Back again...Some thoughts on education, technology, and schools today

It's been a long time since I've blogged, but I started my PhD in Curriculum and Instruction: Educational Technology this fall and I thought this would be a good spaceto sort out thoughts and ideas as they come. I was reading Montessori's 1912 article entitled, a critical consideration of the new pedagogy in its-relation to modern science and I was struck by her disdain for the desk, rewards systems, and the schools aim to silence students most of the day. She writes,  "Today (1912) we hold the pupils in school, restricted by those instruments so degrading to body and spirit, the desk–and material prizes and punishments. Our aim in all this is to reduce them to the discipline of immobility and silence,–to lead them,– where? Far too often toward no definite end." 

She was on to something back in 1912. She understood that our desire to learn is to be cultivated not constrained. What is the ultimate aim of organized schooling? Is it possible to cultivate critical thinkers, innovators, and problem solvers in classrooms lined with rows, rules, and regulations about what to learn, when to learn, and how to learn? Perhaps one way we could advance organized schooling is to start letting kids use the internet and tools available to them on every single project, assignment, and assessment. Why glorify the lowest level of learning (memorizing) and start teaching kids how to create and evaluate. We should stop thinking of a school as a place where kids go to primarily become disciplined, dutiful, dispensers of information but as a space to interact, explore, and figure things out on there own. Where learning is fun and exciting rather than boring and fearful. The beauty of the internet world we live in today is that teachers don't have to know everything but they can lead students down new paths. Teachers can act as a trail boss to help students explore new paths and ideas.

Students can be set free by teachers that let them use all available technology to figure things out, create things, and evaluate things. Schools that place a high value on the higher things of blooms taxonomy will better position their students to become valuable members of society.

Former BGSU Student Recommendation

I just received this recommendation on my LinkedIn account today from a former student I had in class in the Fall of 2012 at BGSU.  It was quite a surprise to get this recommendation over a year later and without any prompting on my part :-)  It really made my day and I wanted to share it:

Terence taught a course at BGSU that I attended and thought I was going to despise. A course I thought I had no interest in and almost regretted the decision to take. Terence put a new twist on the course and made it more interactive, engaging, and most importantly, interesting. This course became my favorite of any course I have ever taken at a higher educational level. Terence was engaged with his students and had a very unique and effective teaching style, especially for him and his students being behind computers the entire time!

Terence's energy level was very high and he was very knowledgeable on the topics he brought to class. His interest and enthusiasm for the course was contagious. Since the course I have continued in the practicing of the topics I've learned and have passed on much of this information to a handful of individuals to help them grow their "personal online brand" along with helping these individuals on how to effectively market themselves for the "online audience" to see them for how they want to be seen.

Through this course, Terence became one of my favorite instructors at a higher educational level because he was more than just an "instructor." He had great insight on the topics he brought to class but was willing to schedule a time to share insight about the professional world, or anything else, with whomever was interested. He cared for his students in and out of the classroom.

I am very grateful for having taken this course with Terence and I highly recommend Terence as a professor, colleague, employee, or employer.
Thank you Terence for all you have taught me and for your dedication to wanting to make a difference in your students' lives!

Brandon Hostetler   

Director of Communications and Ministry Coordinaton at John Knox Presbyterian Church

BLOGS.BGSU a Digital and Educational Revolution at Bowling Green State University

There is a lot more than meets the eye to BLOGS.BGSU.EDU, the homegrown blogging platform developed by Assistant Director of COBL, Terence Armentano. Blogs and microblogs such as Twitter have taken the world by storm. Why? Because they blast open the floodgates of communication. They give everyone a voice and anyone with an internet or even a mobile phone connection can listen in and talk back. Upon closer inspection of BLOGS.BGSU, one will notice it is not just about new technology, it's about a movement, a change in thinking, a paradigm shift, a leveling of the proverbial playing field. It's about what happens to a university when everyone has a voice. For the first time in history, we can leverage the collective intelligence of the university to potentially solve greater and more complex problems in the world. Think about the following scenario: Everyone at the university has unique life experiences and varying degrees of expertise in life. Some have much more life and work experience than others, but surely the sum is greater than its parts. For example, if we have around 20,000 faculty, staff, and students here at BGSU and the average age is 25 then we have 500,000 years of experience between us that we can learn from. BLOGS.BGSU is a great way to leverage such experiences as everyone can contribute. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

BLOGS.BGSU is built upon the Wordpress platform, and everyone with a BGSU email account can login today and start blogging. However, upon closer investigation of the system, one will notice that it can be used to do more than blog. In fact, one will discover the nerve center of a web 2.0 revolution at BGSU in which students, faculty, and staff are creating, consuming, categorizing, and publishing content to the internet as well as networking, interacting, discussing, and critiquing each others posts. The system is so flexible it can be used to build everything from a simple news blog to a web 2.0 portal complete with static and dynamic web pages, blogs, podcasts, flickr integration, Google statistics tracking, and more. Depending on one's goals, the system can be leveraged to create websites, portfolios, tweets, podcasts, journals, news sites, and more. One of the best ways to understand this phenomenon is to view examples of how it is being used. The following are just a few of the creative ways in which people and departments at BGSU are using the system:

Center for Online and Blended Learning
Academic Technology
BGSU Strategic Planning Blog
Dr. Sue Mota - MBA 6070x
Brad's Art 101 Blog
Blackboard Video Tutorial Database Blog
MBA Blog
Jake Graving's Art 101 Blog
Music Library and Sound Recordings Archives News
Center for Teaching and Learning

News from the Curriculum Resource Center

The Rec Well Wire - Connecting Recreation and Wellness Enthusiasts
Dr. Natvig’s BGSU 1000 Blog -This blog is the main site for the music section of BGSU1000

SMC Blog - School of Media and Communication news/event blog
Second Life Virtual Campus
BGSU University Libraries News
Carolyn Kraut - Instructional Designer, COBL
Terence Armentano - Assistant Director, COBL

International Studies - The blog for International Studies majors at BGSU!
Dr. Gwen Evans - Companion site to Third Year Review
Language Learning

Interactive Communication Technologies Course Blog

Jordian Ross - Student Blog and Portfolio

Colleges consider using blogs instead of blackboard: Getting closer, but not completely thought through, in my opinion

The article titled, "Colleges Consider Using Blogs Instead of Blackboard" in the Chronicle of Higher Education, gets some things right and some things wrong, in my opinion. I want to keep this somewhat short because I could write a novel on this topic. First, they understand that paying hundreds of thousands of dollars for Blackboard might not be the best technological solution to facilitate learning. Second, they have experienced the sheer power of the Wordpress blogging platform, which can be used to develop websites that facilitate online learning, eportfolios, blogs, and more... PLUS it's OPEN SOURCE. Yes, it's license free. "What? Something must be wrong with it then." Nope, only one's inability to understand open source software and how it works. We have implemented Wordpress at BGSU as the foundation of our web 2.0 learning landscape. The platform enables the brilliant minds of our university to easily consume, collaborate, communicate, and create content. It facilitates the publication of audio, video, images, and presentations quite easily. In fact, I am giving a presentation on our Wordpress project at the 2009 Moodle Moot/ Sloan-C Conference in San Francisco. In essence, the Wordpress Platform is very powerful and customizable and could be used to deliver great content. If the only thing they wanted a learning management system to do was to present content and provide an interactive platform for learning, then it would meet their needs just fine, but the Learning Management System must do more than that. Wordpress, without tons of customizations to the core, cannot and does not provide the same functionality that a Learning Management System can provide. A better direction for CUNY to go would be to continue to support Wordpress because it is an amazing teaching and learning platform, BUT ALSO look into implementing Moodle, an open source learning managements system, to replace Blackboard if they are unhappy with Blackboard. I personally think Blackboard and Moodle are equals with very different price tags. Either way, the technological infrastructure of Moodle and Blackboard is designed to do different things than the technology in Wordpress. For example, Moodle and Blackboard both have grade books, test creation tools, advanced discussion forums, assignment drop boxes, and they interface with a variety of Student Information Systems for enrollment management. To draw an analogy from a brick and mortar classroom, Moodle/Blackboard would be a classroom with a locked door equipped with chalkboard, desks, computers, projector, and other cool teaching and learning tools. Wordpress would be like equipping all the computers in the classroom with state of the art technology that enables the teachers and students to take teaching and learning to another level that neither Learning Management Systems can provide on their own. Yes, they will both claim to have blogging features, but as I stated before Wordpress is much more than a blogging platform. My point is that CUNY would be better off looking at Moodle and Wordpress as an open source alternative to Blackboard instead of just Wordpress.

Do you want to know how people learn? Watch them play Little Big Planet

Little Big Planet (LBP) is a wildly successful game for the PlayStation 3 and at this point, it is one of a kind. Think Web 2.0 for gaming. The game unleashes the creative power of the user and enables worldwide collaboration. Gamers can play a variety of levels that the game developers created and compete with PS3 gamers worldwide, but that's not the best part. LBP also enables users to create their own games within little big planet and share them with the worldwide community, thus enabling an infinite amount of games since everyone is connected via the PS3 network. The creativity of the games you can create are pretty much limited to your own imagination. I have seen people replicate versions of Mario Brothers, Zelda, and even Metal Gear. I think there are over 300,000 worlds to explore at the time of this blog post. Some are awesome and others are junk, but just like Web 2.0 there is a way to filter the good from the bad (think digg). You can heart your favorites, tag the levels with key words such as "weird", "fun", "dumb" "beautiful", etc. You can also search for levels by name, category, ranking etc (think google). Also, you can report levels that are hateful/inappropriate and the game developers will remove them. Adding this functionality to gaming also gives motivation for users to build awesome levels and become a well known LBP designer. Not to mention it is a great outlet for aspiring game designers to get some practice, get noticed, and show the world what you got.

Web 2.0 took the world by storm by empowering the user to not only consume content but to become a content creator. In addition Web 2.0 harnesses the collective intelligence of communities to make things better (ie. ebay ranking system, amazon reviews, etc). The "we is greater than me" mentality. The genius of LBP is that they have been able to apply this concept to gaming. Yes, you can become a content creator in LBP. You might be wondering how people could possibly create their own games in Little Big Planet? That's got to be incredibly complex and time consuming! Right?

Well, this is where educators really need to pay attention. It's not just about entertainment, it's about engagement, motivation, and creation. Users do have a LOT of information they need to learn before they are able to create a game of there own, but learning in LBP is fun, exploratory, interactive, engaging, and empowering. Here is their learning road map. First, they tell you the story of Little Big Planet and have you perform a few basic moves such as run, jump, smile, frown, etc to set your expectations. (the best communicators are always good story tellers). Then, they have you play about five levels of LBP that the creators made so that you get a feel for what the worlds look like and what you can do in the worlds (play, interactive examples, deeper understanding). Third, they give you a planet of your own to create your own levels on, but before you can do everything, they have you complete interactive tutorials along the way to obtain the tools necessary to create the world (learn by doing). For example, if I want to add music to my level, I need to know how to place a music box on the screen and tweek the settings so that it plays when I want it to. LBP scaffolds your learning as one experience builds on the next experience and each gradually becoming more complex than the next. I think the game has been a successful experiment in exposing the stregths of ideas such as connectivism, creative problem solving, and participative pedagogy as is fact that it is the most popular PS3 game available and it very learning intensive. I think Michael Wesch should get a bunch of PS3's for his classroom and do some major experiments with this game ;-) (on a side note: I'm looking forward to his keynote at the University System of Ohio LLT Conference as well as giving my own presentation at the conference titled, "University 2.0: How BGSU Leveraged Open Source Technologies to Create a Web 2.0 Learning Landscape." Hope to see you there.)

People really have fun exploring, learning, creating, and sharing their worlds with other people. Users spend much time playing, learning, and creating. Maybe this is model of explore/play > learn >create >share does not have to be limited to video games but could actually be applied to education in general. What do you think? How can this be accomplished?

Research shows better learning when students use sites and sounds

This article and supporting research explains why it is important for instructors to implement blogs and wikis into course projects. It's not just about the bells and whistles folks...

One qualitative study, which surely won’t be welcomed by manufacturers of basic word processing software, found that students who create and edit documents using Web-based collaboration tools include more complex visual media in their assignments — and come away with a better understanding in the process. Another ongoing experiment finds, with statistical significance, that instructors can be more effective in grading students’ work if they record their comments directly into documents as audio.

The 2007 Edublog Awards

Looking for more good blog resources? Check out the nominees for the 2007 Edublog Awards. Categories include:

1. Best individual blog

2. Best group blog

3. Best new blog

4. Best resource sharing blog

5. Most influential blog post

6. Best teacher blog

7. Best librarian / library blog

8. Best educational tech support blog

9. Best elearning / corporate education blog

10. Best educational use of audio

11. Best educational use of video / visual

12. Best educational wiki

13. Best educational use of a social networking service

14. Best educational use of a virtual world

Open Education and Free Public Domain E-Books

I was at the Sloan-C Conference this past week and I attended a presentation about Open Education Resources and more specifically the WikiEducator Project. The idea is that with the use of free networks, technology, and open educational resources, we can turn the digital divide into digital dividends. It was a very thought provoking presentation and one that every educator should know about. You can view Wayne Macintosh's online version of the presentation here. WikiEducator Presentation. After viewing the presentation and you begin to get inspired by open content, check out this link to 20+ places to download free public domain e-books. Let us know your reaction to the WikiEducator Project by leaving a comment. I think the WikiEducator project combined with the 1 laptop per child project can provide a good framework for the bridge that stands over the digital and educational divide.

Blogging in Academia - The Future

I believe blogging is going to play a much greater role in the future of academics and educational institutions. The Information Age in which we live is moving us in the direction of a knowledge based economy. In this knew economy where information is created, shared, and re-mixed at the speed of light, consumers demand quality, up-to-date, relevant information, and they want it now! Professors that blog are moving in this direction and their students will recognize and appreciate it.

It's similar to the way computer companies have evolved their business model for developing new software. They realized 2 major things: (1) that people would rather have something to use in a Beta version than years of waiting for a product that ends up being buggy anyhow (2) the feedback they get while in Beta version enables them to make a better product more quickly. It is a move from the Microsoft model (wait 5 years for a substantial upgrade) to the Google model (perpetual upgrades).

A teacher that blogs is like a company moving from the Microsoft model to the Google model. The following is a great example of a college professor using a blog effectively in the field of higher education. Notice the rich media, large network of related blogs, and tons of resources, which makes this blog a jackpot for anyone interested in journalism. I'm sure her students appreciate it. Check it out here - http://mindymcadams.com/tojou/

PodCasting for Learning

Here is a 55 minute call, hosted by Elliott Masie, focusing on PodCasting for Learning. Click the play button below to listen.

Learning 2006 - 30 hours of video and audio content

Over 30 hours of video and audio content from Thought Leaders and Keynote Sessions from Learning 2006. Video "Objects" from Ken Blanchard, interviews with Stephen Covey, JimLauderback, sessions on NextGen, LMS Futures and much more. They also included transcripts of most of these session. All FREE at http://www.learningwiki.com/library

77 Ways to Learn Faster, Deeper, and Better

The quest for knowledge is a journey that every human embarks upon in his/her life. It is a quest that has spurred innovation across the globe from Gutenberg's printing press to Einstein's Relativity to your own discoveries. It has been said that humans only utilize 10% of their brain. Wouldn't it be great to use more. How can we target those untapped areas of our brain? The following article suggests 77 ways to hack into those barren places of the brain enabling one to learn faster, deeper, and better. http://oedb.org/library/college-basics/hacking-knowledge

We are Smarter Than Me - My Contribution

I blogged about the project, "We are Smarter Than Me" yesterday, in which more than a million business professionals and scholars are invited to collaborate using a massive wiki to write a book on the Best Practices in Business Management.

Since I am interested in studying the educational implications of harnessing the collective intelligence of the masses, I couldn't resist the opportunity to get in on the ground floor and be a part of the process in this experiment... so I signed up to be a part of the team. I just finished an introductory paragraph for the book and I am curious to see how my text will be analyzed, discussed, and critiqued. Here is what I wrote...

"Life is community. From our first breath as a newborn babe and in the hands of a stranger, we experience the physical necessity of community. By the hands of a mother and father, we are nourished to health. By the hands of a family we first experience our deep desire to love and be loved. It is in community that our world makes sense and it is where we live. Take a minute from your reading and think of a favorite memory. Hold that thought... Does it involve another person or a group of people? Most likely it does because as we look at the design of life and our own wiring, it is easy to see that we are to experience it together. Not only is life linked to community, but in community is where knowledge and understanding are born. There has never been an original idea. Everything has first been passed down to us from our parents or guardians, family and friends, teachers and coaches, etc. However, once an idea is passed down to us, we can analyze, design, develop, and re-invent the idea in new and innovative ways. The more people we can share ideas with, the greater potential for new innovation and the greater potential for a better world. This is, in effect, the essence of this book."

Major Online Collaboration - Over a million people invited to write and edit a Management Best Practices book

I often write about the power of online collaboration on this blog and often introduce tools to the community that are designed to make online collaboration richer and more effective. One publishing giant, Pearson, under its Wharton School Publishing imprint thinks quite highly of online collaboration as well.

"Starting this week, more than a million business professionals and scholars, including faculty, students, alumni, and newsletter recipients from two of the nation’s most prestigious graduate schools of business, the MIT Sloan School of Management and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, will receive messages inviting them to collectively write and edit the book, tentatively titled We Are Smarter Than Me (http://www.wearesmarter.org/).

Pearson, MIT’s Center for Collective Intelligence, and the SEI Center for Advanced Studies in Management of the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania will collaborate to produce the first community-driven “networked” book on business best practices."

My initial thought is that scholars and professional educators typically enjoy getting credit for their work so I wonder what the level of participation will be for this bold project. As you know, wiki's are more about the collective work of the group and minimize the individual contributions so they will have to give the participants some good reasons to contribute. Maybe they can print the names of all participants in the back of the book...I'm not sure.

To those that complain about the accuracy of wiki's, I must say that unlike other forms of media, at least you have the ability to correct anything you believe to be erroneous. In addition, scholars and experts should be heavy contributers to Wikipedia, the largest encyclopedia in the world, ensuring credibility and exercising their academic freedom to make it better for everyone...Of course they may be critiqued by another person with a different point of view the next day.

Read more about this project here

Diane Rehm Show - Pros and cons of online learning

The Diane Rehm show features a discussion with experts on the pros and cons of online learning.

"More than a million college and graduate students are now getting degrees online. We'll talk about the pros, cons and future of online education."

Listen to the archived show, which took place November 13, 2006
http://www.wamu.org/programs/dr/06/11/13.php#12297

The Open Learn Project

The Open University's Open Learn Project makes educational resources freely available. Educational resources can be found in the following categories:

Arts and History
Business and Management
Education
Health and Lifestyle
IT and Computing
Mathematics and Statistics
Modern Languages
Science and Nature
Society
Study Skills
Technology