Kirk's Blog

PLN (Personal Learning Network) I view a PLN as a means for personal and professional connections.   Whether it be LinkedIn or another like app, we can forge relationships with other via an online community.   That digital community will share interests, passions, and beliefs from anywhere in the world.   PLN’s bring people together to share ideas and resources.   This course has reinforced the benefits of digital sharing.   I appreciate engaging in professional conversations with others in my same profession.  The link as below conveys ten benefits of online communities.   The very nature of NET courses brings together students from all over the world, what a benefit unto itself.  When we widen that geographic scope of conversation, we learn much more about our practices.  The website link below outlines 10 benefits of online learning communities.  I especially like Point 5 - A sense of community - whereby users develop a str...

In Clark's 1983 article entitled, "Reconsidering Research on Learning from Media", he concludes "that media are delivery vehicles for instruction and do not directly influence learning".  Look how far we have progressed since this dated statement.  The article states that certain elements of media "might serve" as beneficial to student achievement.  The Robert Kozma article from 1991 further details the effects of media types.  Books, television, computers, and multimedia are discussed in relation to student learning.  Although both articles are dated, Kozma states a point still in effect today.  "Our ability to take advantage of the power of emerging technologies will depend on the creativity of designers, their ability to exploit the capabilities of the media, and our understanding of the relationship between these capabilities and learning".  Humans, aka teachers, still need to critically decipher media in order find meaning and validity f...

Teaching Digital Citizenship to Kindergarten Students As a career high school teacher, I am quite accustomed to teaching digital citizenship in Grades 9-12.  I wanted more information on teaching to a much younger audience.  Radical digital citizenship is "a process by which individuals and groups committed to social justice critically analyze the social, political and economic consequences of digital technologies in everyday life and collectively deliberate and take action to build alternative and emancipatory technologies and technological practices" (Emejulu & McGregor, 2016, p. 10).  What does the preceding definition mean to a five-year old student?  The web article refers to three main considerations for teacher.  First, knowing how to handle strangers in virtual environments.  Second, to convey that not all strangers are dangerous.  Third, the danger might be in the home and hard to escape.  What role do parents ta...

This video was a suggested must-view from my recent LIFT session in Brandon.  Born for the Internet As much as the video is funny, it does have a message.  The Internet can provide instructions on almost anything imaginable.  Zhao states that, "computers can substitute for humans when computers have all the needed information to complete the task and such information is reorganized and acquired in a form that computers can process".  The baby in the video did not require any assistance in cutting the umbilical cord; the web provided instructions.  In real life, and as a proud father of three daughters, I will cringe at the thought of anyone besides a qualified doctor to conduct such a critical task.  One caution is that not all online instruction is "good" instruction.  I recall this Spring looking for YouTube videos to help me learn how to install a new furnace fan motor in my camper.  I wisely checked a number of suggested hits; the first ...

7 Must-Know Classroom Technology Trends that are Changing Education Neil Postman's article references his view that 21st century problems will not be "more stunning, disoriented or complex than those we faced in this century".  I agree to some extent, however we need to view technologies as solutions to problems that in turn will increase quality of life.  Schools are taxed with the vital work of sifting through the marketing of technology to incorporate those that are beneficial to student learning.  This article comments on 7 trends.  Flipped learning is not new, however has become more advanced.  Students of all levels and regardless of geographical location should be able to access courses via net.  Gamification - a new word in my vocabulary - attempts to engage the young learner with rewards and levels of difficulty.  I would say though that life is not a game; it has much more complexities than a game could possibly deliver.  S...

The article states, "Learning occurs as a result of motivation, opportunities, an active process, interaction with others, and the ability to transfer learning to a real-world situation".  Technology can make a difference on all the above points if structured with student learning as the focus.  A number of years ago, I recall someone telling me that our new computers will revolutionize how students learn.  That person was correct, however technology requires the skills of a creative teacher for guidance and direction.  Without that integral element, the technology piece renders itself useless.      Technology integration or blending requires careful and mindful thought.  Technology usage must be tied directly to student learning and achievement. Technology integration is embedded into everything we do in and out of the classroom.  Students become much more engaged with technology as part of the learning process, whethe...