Well, how’s this for trying something new. Jenny I hope it’s okay! I decided to sign up for mindmeister. Liked it immediately. Starting mindmeister-ing. Realized it was turning into a super cool blog post. Hopefully I can share that with you now:
http://www.mindmeister.com/308017189
http://www.mindmeister.com/308017189/my-conceptual-development-libe-477
One of the two should work!
Very impressive mindmeistering, Kate! It is really exciting to see that just moments after being introduced to a new online application, you have already taken the steps to sign up and begin using it. I especially enjoyed your section entitled “Information Overload” which I think summarizes our week quite nicely. I agree that it is only by trial and error, by actually trying each system out, that we can judge what will best meet our needs in the classroom.
I think you bring up some valid points in “What are we forgetting?” As a teacher in the elementary system, so many of my discussions with my colleagues are centred around getting students AWAY from screen time and here we are in class touting the merits of being connected 24/7. I think the answer may lie somewhere in steering students towards quality screen time; introducing them to an addictive math gaming website or using technology to make a difference on this planet. The reality is that students need to be connected and need to learn to navigate in a world that is increasingly online but we don’t want them to lose sight of things that really matter. Your mindmeister is a vivid depiction of this inner conflict that we face. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Hi Kate,
This is an awesome use of ICT! What better way to summarize your thoughts and outlooks after this first week than to use one of the resources put forward by our learning group. I particularly love what you had to say about community building. As much as I want to develop my online presence and feel comfortable in its skin, I am embracing the human interaction combined with the use of technology I’m experiencing in this course. The buddy/group learning we are all engaged in has built a real sense of community in the class and we’ve only been at it for a week!
Your ideas on how to use social media as way to foster positive change in the community and the environment are so smart. Love that you would have the students Tweet while on a field trip, take photos etc. of whatever, use databases to examine and discover whatever said items are then hashtag, instagram and tweet to share and collaborate. You know I am going to borrow some of your ideas, right?
Lastly, I could not agree more with your section on “What are we forgetting?” Amidst all of our fantastic and collaborative uses of technology, we have to remember to stay true to the core of what really counts in this world and you said it all.
I have learnt so much from you already Kate!
Anne-Marie
I love your mindmeister synthesis! I am a non-linear thinker, so things make sense to me when they are laid out as a spatial arrangement. You can also embed the map by copying the code, I will show you how to do that in class today. One of the conceptual areas that stood out for me was the social justice aspect of ICT in education. How we might use ICT to influence social policy – giving students a chance to articulate their vision of society and communicate that vision through multi-modalities to those who have power over the future direction of our society.