Duncan McCue looks at the MOOC, otherwise known as, the Massive Open Online Course. They are changing the way teachers teach and the way students learn because they can fill a classroom with a billion brains.
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Nik Peachey's insight:
Interesting video on MOOCs. It's beginning to look like anything that is online education is now being called a MOOC. It's like an echo from 20 years ago when e-learning started taking off. Seems like a lot of people are really missing the point. Delete the scoop?
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If you haven’t heard of 20% time in the classroom, the premise is simple: Give your students 20% of their class time to learn what they want. Yes, that’s it. Below is a list of the 10 reasons you should consider 20% time in your school, and you will not regret making that choice!
Nik Peachey's insight:
This is a great idea that I first heard of as being a Google day. Great way to build independence and learner autonomy. Delete the scoop?
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iPads have certainly become a highly desired commodity in education. Apple is reporting that schools are purchasing iPads by a ratio of 2:1 over MacBooks. However, that rush to purchase the latest technologies often precedes the careful planning and preparation that’s crucial to their success as educational tools. Stated simply, technology alone doesn’t have the capacity to improve education. It needs to be woven into a holistic approach to education that encompasses thorough planning and ongoing review of the skills and competencies required by the rapidly changing society that characterizes life in the 21st century.
Nik Peachey's insight:
This is a really useful checklist. I particularly like number 6!
Ricard Garcia's curator insight,
May 13, 7:16 AM
Needless to say...iPads are not for typing... so... how do we fit them into class? Delete the scoop?
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Brain scans taken during Poldrack’s experiment revealed that different regions of the brain were active under the two conditions, indicating that the brain engages in a different form of memory when forced to pay attention to two streams of information at once. The results suggest, the scientists wrote, that “even if distraction does not decrease the overall level of learning, it can result in the acquisition of knowledge that can be applied less flexibly in new situations.”
Nik Peachey's insight:
The main problem with this research is that it presupposes that we are using the right form of instruction with the students and that they are attending to it in the wrong way. I think it's more likely the wrong way around and we need to change the form of instruction to make it more engaging. 
RadaSiva's comment,
May 9, 4:42 AM
Paying attention to two streams of information; when does it even happen in a real classroom?
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In this four-part series, we’ll use the Someday/Monday template to explore four dimensions of using tablets, such as the iPad, in educational settings, examining how teachers can take students on a journey from consumption of media to curation, creation, and connection. Here, we’ll start with consumption.
Nik Peachey's insight:
Looks like being an interesting series 
Barbara Isasi-Brown's curator insight,
May 9, 7:21 AM
Reading, curating, sharing. My IPad has balloted an extension of me. 
Ilpo Halonen's curator insight,
May 13, 4:30 AM
Poikkeuksellisesti rescooppasin tämän tulevaisuutta hahmottavan englanninkielisen jutun. Delete the scoop?
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Distance learning programmes are handing out iPads to help students stay on course
Nik Peachey's insight:
Not really revolutionary, but an interesting article. 
Kyle Ohlenkamp's curator insight,
May 8, 10:49 AM
The greatest possible use of technology is to allow for free learning to take place and if you ask me Ms. Pacman never hurt anyone either!
Kyle 
Pippa Davies @PippaDavies 's curator insight,
May 8, 11:03 AM
Ipads offer new hope to university students learning online! Easier to carry than textbooks!! Delete the scoop?
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For us teachers and education leaders, this moment of rapid and radical technological change is not what we signed up for, is it? A trillion web pages; a billion smartphones; movies, TV shows, newspapers, and novels on demand, wherever we are, whenever we desire; near ubiquitous courses and coursework, with teachers, tutors, and technologies that let learners of any age learn whatever they want, whenever and wherever they desire. "Always on" access has created an abundance of learning potentials that scarcely existed even a decade ago.
Nik Peachey's insight:
Very good overall article looking at technology intergration into education and what it means to be 'educated' 
CERT's curator insight,
May 8, 4:01 AM
The spirit of technology use, and being 'NetSmart' as Howard Rheingold puts it lies with the people and the ways in which the tools are exploited. It is rather useless to force an educator to "use the interactive whiteboard". It is certainly not going anywhere near the "technology-rich learning". To be able to start getting a glimpse at what it really means to teach with technology we have to change our way of teaching completely and focus first on our learners and on the activities that learners can do. I keep emphasising, technology is not about maintaining teacher control, but it is of giving the learners the freedom to learn, unlearn and relearn. Delete the scoop?
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Revising that might more clearly articulate the differences between physical and digital communities, so a decent definition of digital citizenship then might be “Self-monitored participation that reflects conscious interdependence with all (visible and less visible) community members”
Nik Peachey's insight:
Looks like the beginning of and interesting series. 
Dean Mantz's curator insight,
May 7, 11:29 AM
As our students become more aware of the technology around them, we as educators and parents need to spend time talking face-to-face on what is appropriate and what may need to be kept to oneself. This TeachThought post that Nik shared on his Scoop.it site is a good starting point for discussions.
CERT's comment,
May 8, 3:41 AM
Unfortunately we find that what happens the most, especially in schools is that educators and administrators tend to shy away from this responsibility and limit their teaching to the way they have been taught, thus excluding all the elements that are now pronouncing us as digital citizens in a society.
Sieg Holle's curator insight,
May 10, 12:15 PM
In the digital world we are human beings -free of the many artificial restrictions and other special interest agendas and use our free will to engage our ideas and actions. It is natural - people can chose who they want to communicate with It is a positive MOOC of that will expand the world into a new age of freedom and abundance . Delete the scoop?
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Berry supports the idea of MOOCs for professional development in theory because he’d like to see teachers be able to choose and direct their own learning. But he thinks success hinges on skilled virtual facilitators who both know the subject matter and how to foster high quality discussion and communication online in order to make it work well.
Nik Peachey's insight:
Another article about MOOCs. I tend to think teachers who can are already doing this for themselves. 
Jason R Levine's curator insight,
May 4, 10:05 AM
Lively, passionate, (bordering on) seductive teachers and facilitators, leads to exciting and meaningful interaction online and off. When MOOCs are conceived and designed this way, they will become the places for highly-engaged social learning that we want them to be. 
Robin Kay's curator insight,
May 8, 9:23 AM
Interesting move - I would watch this one closely. MOOCs seem better than large lecturs and in Coursera are much better designed. Not sure I would want to be taught by a teachers whose only credentials were from Coursera, but I can see other higher education areas being better served by MOOCs. Delete the scoop?
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MOOCs make everyone reflect, discuss and experiment with pedagogy in way that is far more agile than the slow and ponderous ‘research’ route. Let’s face it, HE accreditation is odd. You get a two numbers with a dot between them. What use is that? We need far more innovation on what we assess, when we assess and how we assess. MOOCs are starting to give us real answers.
Nik Peachey's insight:
Not so sure this kind of assessment will be so easy if the courses really are 'massive'. I've found assessing some of the MOOCs I have run quite tricky. Delete the scoop?
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Our hyper-connected lives have been rewired for the digital age. These talks explore how the Internet and social media are shaping our relationships, personal lives and sense of self. Via Ana Cristina Pratas
Nik Peachey's insight:
Looks like a good series of videos. Well worth watching. 
Shanthi Cumaraswamy Streat's curator insight,
May 3, 6:47 AM
These look like great talks. Can't wait to watch them. 
Mirjana Podvorac's curator insight,
May 4, 2:26 PM
In order not to get trapped in the web of one, to stay connected to new ideas, new people and get a different prospective! Delete the scoop?
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In the end, MOOCs and online programs primarily help those who are self motivated to learn, and the vast majority of these people would have figured out how to educate themselves, whether in college or on their own, regardless of whether or not online courses are available.
Nik Peachey's insight:
Much as I support the developments being made in online learning I have to say there is a lot of truth in this article too.
Jason R Levine's comment,
May 3, 4:21 PM
There need not be a dichotomy of online learning and having the personalized attention of a teacher/coach. This article, and others like it, are misguided if their point is that online education will forever remain a fantasy; they are valuable articles in that they correctly note what's limiting and/or dysfunctional now to set us on course to the new "reality" of online and blended learning being superior to traditional "brick and mortar" education.
Mihail Gavrilov's curator insight,
May 4, 9:36 AM
интернет-обучение - преимущественно фантазии. Оно подходит только для мотивированных, целеустремленных, склонных к самостоятельному поиску знаний 
silvermanmc's curator insight,
May 6, 1:56 PM
Learning has almost always been a social endeavor... online learning that approximates such...is potentially more effective... Delete the scoop?
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Sure, some kids will ignore the video. “The same kids who don’t currently do their homework will not watch the lecture,” says McCammon. “But as you start making your class more engaging, kids who don’t usually do their homework will start doing it because they want to participate in the class.” Kids write questions down while they’re watching the video, and then the first 10 minutes of class is for discussion of what they’ve seen. Then kids spend the remaining 50 minutes working in teams of four to solve problems.
Nik Peachey's insight:
A good in-depth article about flipping the classroom. 
Rebecca Ferlazzo's curator insight,
May 12, 5:38 AM
Jusst like some of my earlier scoops this model "flips" the classroom. But this classroom is "flipped" with a twist. Technology is integrated at every step. So does this still make the "flipped classroom" a good model? Or does the integration of technology take away from the experience? Technology- Help or Hinderance? Delete the scoop?
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These arguments miss the point of the MOOC, and that point is, precisely, to make education available to people who cannot afford pay the cost to travel to and attend these small in-person events. Having one instructor for 20-50 people is expensive, and most of the world cannot afford that cost. That's *why* the institutions - from which the attendees of this conference were uniquely selected - charge thousands of dollars of tuition every year. Via Vance Stevens
Nik Peachey's insight:
Good short read from Stephen Downes on how MOOCs are being rebranded and their aims distorted to fit in with the established models of education delivery.
Jason R Levine's curator insight,
May 11, 9:07 PM
"MOOCs were not designed to serve the missions of the elite colleges and universities. They were designed to undermine them, and make those missions obsolete. Yes there has been a great rebranding and co-option of the concept of the MOOC over the last couple of years. The near-instant response from the elites, almost unprecedented in my experience, is a recognition of the deeply subversive intent and design of the original MOOCs (which they would like very much to erase from history)." 
Helena Capela's curator insight,
May 12, 4:42 AM
The adoption of Moocs by institutions and what they were created for 
Robert Farrow's curator insight,
May 13, 3:10 AM
"MOOCs were not designed to serve the missions of the elite colleges and universities. They were designed to undermine them, and make those missions obsolete. Yes there has been a great rebranding and co-option of the concept of the MOOC over the last couple of years. The near-instant response from the elites, almost unprecedented in my experience, is a recognition of the deeply subversive intent and design of the original MOOCs (which they would like very much to erase from history)." Delete the scoop?
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Rolling out a 1-to-1 technology program can be a daunting task for any school or district. After talking to some of the most forward-thinking 1-to-1 administrators and teachers, we've got the inside scoop ... and we're here to share it with you!
Nik Peachey's insight:
Good source of advice if you are thinking of doing this in your school. Delete the scoop?
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Developing a strong vocabulary is an important area of focus for ELLs who are building their reading comprehension. Educators use a variety of strategies to grow readers in their classroom, and there are many free iPad apps that support vocabulary acquisition.
Nik Peachey's insight:
Just four apps mentioned here, but that's probably a good start. 
Blake Turnbull's curator insight,
May 13, 5:19 PM
We all know who important vocabularly acquisition is, and so free apps to aid in this process are certainly a bonus!! This article looks at 4 apps: Kids' Vocab by MindSnacks, English First High Flyers, Flashcardlet, and Futaba, with details about them all and the way in which they can support vocabulary acquisition. Delete the scoop?
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Some 45 percent of parents said they either had already purchased or planned to purchase a mobile device to support their children’s education, and 56 percent said they’d be willing to purchase a mobile device if their child’s school required it. About half of parents’ high school students carry smartphones to school, parents said. By contrast, only 16 percent of schools had a policy that allowed students to use their own mobile devices in class, according to parents, while only 17 percent said their children were required to use a mobile device—owned either by the school or the student—as part of their education.
Nik Peachey's insight:
Some interesting statistics here 
CitizenTekk's comment,
May 9, 1:18 AM
Why do I not believe this? I'd want my kid to put the phone down and read his/her book!
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In order to move from theory to practice in mobile learning, one needs a framework. The JISC Mobile InfoKit introduces its frameworks discussion by listing six 'course aspects' (my term) which may ...
Nik Peachey's insight:
The Kit itself is looking a bit outdated (2011) but it's an interesting framework.
Robin Kay's curator insight,
May 8, 9:20 AM
This kind of model is really needed - very helpful. Check out the whole book (free) at http://www.aupress.ca/books/120155/ebook/99Z_Mohamed_Ally_2009-MobileLearning.pdf ; 
Begoña Iturgaitz's curator insight,
May 8, 9:27 AM
Gure nagusia honetaz sakontzen ari da. gaia interesgarria benetan! Delete the scoop?
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First and foremost, student writing is improving by leaps and bounds. When I read their blogs (which, by the way, are mature, insightful, funny and engaging), I don't find myself pulling my hair out over the careless mistakes they make in formal papers. Not every post is perfect, but the majority are well written and free of grammar and usage issues that I am so familiar with seeing in their other work. If they become sloppy, all I need to do is politely comment about it on their blog, and I don't see it again.
Nik Peachey's insight:
Nice article on the benefits of blogging for writing development. 
Constance Jones Collier's curator insight,
May 7, 5:20 PM
How time have changed. whats your input on this? 
Nalya Ovshieva's curator insight,
May 8, 9:03 AM
This is a useful experience of developing writing skills. As a follow-up activity, writing by way of blogging could enable students to get a feel for the issue studied, and assume responsibity for public writing.
Blake Turnbull's curator insight,
May 21, 12:39 AM
First and foremost, I think it is safe to say that student writing is improving by leaps and bounds when it comes to technology. Blogs are a brilliant way to for students to keep an ongoing "journal" where they can write about whatever they want and improve their writing skills as a result. This article looks at a teacher who introduced blogging to her junior students and found huge improvements as a result. "When I read their blogs (which, by the way, are mature, insightful, funny and engaging), I don't find myself pulling my hair out over the careless mistakes they make in formal papers". Blogs are motivational and more interesting than conventional writing assignemnts, and students are consequently more open to learning from them as a result. Delete the scoop?
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The big news is about online professional development. But it's nothing new. In fact, the newest model is already outdated.
Nik Peachey's insight:
Have to say I agree with a lot of this, especially this part about PLNs "Social learning through PLNs has become a tour de force and it’s not run by any one company. It’s not something to be monetized and refined. It’s rough, all over the place, and always changing. That’s why it’s so great. PLNs, to me, are the future of online professional development." 
CAEXI BEST's curator insight,
May 4, 7:01 PM
2 scénarios possibles pour le perfectionnement professionnel en ligne
Anne Sturgess's curator insight,
May 5, 5:32 PM
The principle of 'one size does not fit all' applies as much to adult learning as for our students. We need to adopt a blended 'fit for purpose & audience' approach to professional development. Delete the scoop?
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For older students, the media multitasking habit extends into the classroom. While most middle and high school students don’t have the opportunity to text, email, and surf the Internet during class, studies show the practice is nearly universal among students in college and professional school. One large survey found that 80 percent of college students admit to texting during class; 15 percent say they send 11 or more texts in a single class period.
Nik Peachey's insight:
If we really want to get 100% of kids attention on our lessons then we need to make them stimulating enough to occupy 100% of their attention.
Jason R Levine's curator insight,
May 3, 2:46 PM
PASSIONATE TEACHERS that ENGAGE-need I mention- INTUITIVELY KNOW how to KEEP their ATTENTION. ;D Delete the scoop?
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Most experts agree that the best way to learn a language is by immersing yourself in it. Now, with more sophisticated technology, another theory around lang
Nik Peachey's insight:
Nice to see a few friends getting a mention in this article. 
Jenn Alevy's curator insight,
May 8, 1:45 AM
Interesting for teachers working at an international school and living overseas. Delete the scoop?
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One area where faculty adoption is almost universal is in the use of video for classes. More than 80 percent of survey respondents tapped into online sites such as YouTube for video to use in their teaching.
Nik Peachey's insight:
The article has an interesting podcast and also a slide show with the results displayed graphically. Delete the scoop?
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We talk about teachers from our past who left a lasting impression and draw some conclusions about what qualities are needed to be a really great teacher.
Nik Peachey's insight:
The first in what looks like being a useful series of podcasts. 
Jonathan Sayers's comment,
May 2, 9:15 AM
Yep, I listened yesterday, a great way to spend 20 minutes.
Jonathan Sayers's curator insight,
May 2, 9:16 AM
A really lovely way to spend 20 minutes, nice relaxing chat all about teachers and teaching. Looking forward to the next one... Delete the scoop?
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This is not new - I taught the International Writing Exchange (IWE) from 1993, but technology allows much more nowadays. Go for it and learn whatever your heart desires! Go for challenging courses though, not a book on the Web!!
Information and knowledge is there. Only you decide what to make of it.
Sharing knowledge will always give you back more than what you give.
I have participated in one...have you? Try them out. Check out www.coursera.org for courses!