"Computerized tools can revolutionize or devolutionize education." Dr. Kamran SedigAmong a host of opportunities to share and network with colleagues across south-western Ontario - the recent London Region e-Learning Symposium also offered up a number of reflective moments such as the provocative 'mental gem' above.
A few main connective threads emerged from Dr. Sedig's keynote address and were woven throughout the symposium workshops:
1. Tools, whether pre or post-industrial, (e.g. pitch forks or interactive whiteboards) are as effective or ineffective as the people who wield them. They expand or constrain learning.
2. Students learn best when actively engaged in rich 'hands on' learning activities (e.g. educational video games, role playing etc.)
3. There are creative ways to put a 'human face' on e-Learning or computer-mediated learning environments (e.g. interactive presentations and interviews using Adobe Connect) .
From the 'get go' - symposium participants were challenged to engage in higher level thinking; "thinking does not occur in isolation" or "what kind of thinking is facilitated by a certain tool"?
The fact that many participants walked away with more questions than answers concerning e-Learning is a strong indication of a successful learning experience.
Photo credit - http://www.wordle.net/
1 comments:
After a blur of a week, I'm glad to be reminded of last week's symposium. The buzz that reverberated in discussions among colleagues was one of the highlights for me. Attendees seemed genuinely interested in forging connections with their regional colleagues and in engaging with the facilitators.
I hope our definition of e-learning will continue to expand and that we "choose wisely" which tools to implement.
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