viernes, 22 de abril de 2011

Welcome Vero and Ana

This is a blog I opened some time ago connected to a an Open online course that ran from January to April. The previous entries are related to the course. Feel free to read them and comment, if you wish. Now we´ll continue working here.

The first entry will be an explanation of the Blog´s name. We, as teachers, have the power to push our students into learning by forcing them to do homework, read, write or do other activities we may think suitable or to pull them into the magnificent world of learning and knowledge by opening windows and doors leading onto the unfathomable and pleasurable discovery of the unknown. In the first option students will feel learning is a heavy duty they have to comply with for the sake of passing an exam, for credits, for promotion or some other benefit. Teachers will feel the´ve fulfilled their obligation since students have done plenty of work and therefore have learned. They have imposed rules because they have the power to do it and the students had to follow them willy nilly. The second option will show us the sky is the limit. Students willing to learn more and more can develop into autonomous, self-directed learners that will surprise us and discover innovative, unexpected paths adapted to their individual needs and perhaps useful to other members of the group.

I thought this is a central topic in the equation teaching-learning that´s why I chose it as the name of the blog.
I´d love to hear your comments. Whether you agree or disagree, do say why.

Welcome

lunes, 18 de abril de 2011

Time goes by

CCK11 is over and it´s been an incredible experience. I´ve learnt about a multiplicity of subjects from neural networks to RSS feeds, from data mining to the use of OER´s, from various theories of learning to connectivism and I could go on and on. Apart from this I´ve attended outstanding presentations I wouldn´t be able to take part in,in a lifetime. Shared commentaries in the back channel, learned what it is like to listen to a talk and to follow a chat full of expert comments, in a foreign language --multitasking at its best-- while watching the screen, trying to make the most of the succession of visual materials shown. Never a dull moment, I should say. Besides it´s thrilling to have people from all over the world sharing openly their interests and expertise, showing motivation related to the field of E-learning, which is at the centre of an educator´s life in the 21st C.