[Innovate] February/March Issue

A couple of items related to online learning and K-12 in this issue of Innovate.

Innovate (www.innovateonline.info) is published bimonthly as a public service by the Fischler School of Education and Human Services at Nova Southeastern University and is sponsored, in part, by Microsoft. The articles in the February/March 2008 issue, guest edited by Cathy Gunn and Susan Patrick, offer a range of studies that contribute to an evidence-based framework to sustain further innovation in online teaching and learning. Innovate-Live webcasts, produced by our partner, ULiveandLearn, allow you to synchronously interact with authors on the topics of their articles.

In the first article of this issue, Susan Lowes focuses on the "trans-classroom" teacher who works in both face-to-face and online classrooms, and attempts to track how such teachers make shifts in ideas, strategies, and practices that constrain or improve their practice in either venue. [See
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=446&action=article ] Her webcast is scheduled for March 26 at 3:00 PM EST.

Rayenne Dekhinet, Keith Topping, David Duran, and Silvia Blanch studied a primary school program that linked English-speaking learners of Spanish with Spanish-speaking learners of English. Their study provides insight on how Internet technology can be leveraged to enhance language learning. [See
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=479&action=article ]. Their webcast is schedule for March 26 at 11:00 AM EST.

Len Annetta, Marta Klesath, and Shawn Holmes describe virtual learning environments and the use of avatars to foster social presence in these environments as they examine how gaming and avatars are engaging online students. [See
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=485&action=article ]. Their webcast is scheduled for February 19 at 1:00 PM EST.

You may register for webcasts at http://www.uliveandlearn.com/PortalInnovate/. Webcasts will be archived and available in the webcast section of the article and in the Innovate-Live portal archive shortly after the webcast. All times are Eastern Standard Time (New York). You may use the world clock at http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/ to coordinate with your time zone.

We hope that you enjoy this issue of Innovate. Please use the discussion board within each article to raise questions or provide additional commentary. Your comments will be sent to authors for their response, which will become part of the record for their article. Also, please forward this announcement to appropriate mailing lists and to colleagues who want to use IT tools to advance their work and ask your organizational librarian to link to Innovate in their resource section for open-access e-journals.

If you are considering submitting a manuscript describing how you use Microsoft technology to enhance the educational experience for publication consideration in the From our Sponsors section, please make sure that it conforms to the publication guidelines described at the Contribute link on Innovate's navigation bar.

Finally, check out the Innovation 2008 conference at http://education-2008.org that Innovate and the Focus on Education Foundation are hosting this coming April 14-15 in beautiful Breckenridge, CO. The early-bird discount for the conference and for the Beaver Run Resort and Conference Center is drawing near. We would love to see you there.

Thanks!

Jim
----
James L Morrison
Editor-in-Chief, Innovate
http://www.innovateonline.info
Fischler School of Education and Human Services
Nova Southeastern University
http://www.schoolofed.nova.edu/home.htm
---------------------------

Obviously I edited Dr. Morrison's message to only include those articles which are germane to this particular blog. So, join in the discussion or attend one of the webcasts.

Tags: open source, online journals, e-journals, academy, research, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

New Article - Distance Education in Georgia's Public School Districts: Baseline Data on Utilization and the Perceived Barriers to Implementation...

I got this in my inbox a few minutes ago from the Online Journal of Distance Learning Administration (OJDLA)...

Distance Education in Georgia's Public School Districts: Baseline Data on Utilization and the Perceived Barriers to Implementation and Expansion

by William Tankersley & James Burnham

Interest in distance education, particularly online education, is increasing in public school districts throughout the United States. In an effort to aid those who are involved in the planning and administration of K-12 distance education programs in Georgia, the authors sought to gather and report baseline data on the current utilization of distance education courses in Georgia’s K-12 public school districts, and to determine the perceived barriers to the implementation and expansion of distance education programs in Georgia. The authors’ findings indicated that K-12 distance education enrollments in Georgia have increased over the past five school years, and asynchronous Internet-based courses are the primary course delivery model that exists. In addition, the authors found that costs and/or funding issues were the most frequently chosen barriers to the implementation and expansion of distance education courses.

The complete article can be viewed at:

http://www.westga.edu/%7Edistance/ojdla/winter104/tankersley104.html

The OJDLA is an open-source, online journal that normally focuses upon an adult population (not as a matter of policy, so this is probably because they simply don't get many submissions from K-12 people). It has been around for a decade now and you can view all of the past issues at http://www.westga.edu/%7Edistance/ojdla/browsearticles.php.

Tags: open source, online journals, e-journals, academy, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

[Innovate] December/January Issue Webcasts

Well, I posted a couple of articles from the latest edition of Innovate a few days ago, so here is the corresponding webcast schedule for those articles.

Innovate (www.innovateonline.info) is published bimonthly as a public service by the Fischler School of Education and Human Services at Nova Southeastern Innovate (www.innovateonline.info) is published bimonthly as a public service by the Fischler School of Education and Human Services at Nova Southeastern University and is sponsored, in part, by Microsoft. The articles in the December/January issue illuminate how to work and teach more effectively in a digital world; our Innovate-Live webcasts, produced by our partner, ULiveandLearn, allow authors to discuss their articles with readers in a synchronous format.

[stuff deleted]

Finally, we offer two commentaries on bridging the gap between tech-savvy Net Generation students and their instructors. Jennifer Summerville and John Fischetti describe what they call "the loophole generation" and offer strategies for combating online cheating, bullying, and excuse making. [See http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=343&action=article]. Their webcast is scheduled for December 11, 2007 at 2:00 PM EST.

Lynn Zimmerman and Anastasia Trekles Milligan team up to offer perspectives from both sides of the technological and generational divide, discussing how technology has changed the way students view both linguistic conventions and the etiquette of instructor-student relations. [See http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=338&action=article]. Their webcast is scheduled for December 11, 2007 at 1:00 PM EST.

You may register for webcasts at http://www.uliveandlearn.com/PortalInnovate/. Webcasts will be archived and available in the webcast section of the article and in the Innovate-Live
portal archive shortly after the webcast. All times are Eastern Standard Time (New York). You may use the world clock at http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/ to coordinate with your time zone.

We hope that you enjoy this issue of Innovate. Please use the discussion board within each article to raise questions or provide additional commentary. Your comments will be sent to authors for their response, which will become part of the record for their article. Also, please forward this announcement to appropriate mailing lists and to colleagues who want to use IT tools to advance their work and ask your organizational librarian to link to Innovate in their resource section for open-access e-journals.

Finally, if you are considering submitting a manuscript describing how you use Microsoft technology to enhance the educational experience for publication consideration in the From our Sponsors section, please make sure that it conforms to the publication guidelines described at the Contribute link on Innovate’s navigation bar.

Thanks!

Jim
----
James L Morrison
Editor-in-Chief, Innovate
http://www.innovateonline.info
Fischler School of Education and Human Services
Nova Southeastern University
http://www.schoolofed.nova.edu/home.htm

I've never been to one of their webcasts before, but would be interested in hearing from someone about how they are?

Tags: open source, online journals, e-journals, academy, digital natives, generational differences, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

[Innovate] December/January Issue

Innovate this month has a couple of articles dealing with today's students.

Innovate (www.innovateonline.info) is published bimonthly as a public service by the Fischler School of Education and Human Services at Nova Southeastern Innovate (www.innovateonline.info) is published bimonthly as a public service by the Fischler School of Education and Human Services at Nova Southeastern University and is sponsored, in part, by Microsoft. Thearticles in the December/January issue illuminate how to work and teach more effectively in a digital world; our Innovate-Live webcasts, produced by our partner, ULiveandLearn, allow authors to discuss their articles with readers in a synchronous format.

[stuff deleted]

Finally, we offer two commentaries on bridging the gap between tech-savvy Net Generation students and their instructors. Jennifer Summerville and John Fischetti describe what they call "the loophole generation" and offer strategies for combating online cheating, bullying, and excuse making. [See http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=343&action=article]. Their webcast is scheduled for December 11, 2007 at 2:00 PM EST.

Lynn Zimmerman and Anastasia Trekles Milligan team up to offer perspectives from both sides of the technological and generational divide, discussing how technology has changed the way students view both linguistic conventions and the etiquette of instructor-student relations. [See http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=338&action=article]. Their webcast is scheduled for December 11, 2007 at 1:00 PM EST.

Once the schedule to chat with the authors is released, I'll post that for these two sessions as well.

Tags: open source, online journals, e-journals, academy, digital natives, generational differences, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

Conference: Canada's Aboriginal Virtual Schools and E-Learning

As I wait for CIDER to post the archive of my session last week (so I can post the link here), I discovered that the sister of an old friend of mine from middle school works with virtual high schools that cater to aboriginal fly in communities in Northern Canada. She also alerted me to this conference that is quickly coming up.

2nd Aboriginal National Forum, 2007

October 23-24
Canada's Aboriginal Virtual Schools and E-Learning

The Cutting Edge in Online Education

http://www.credenda.net/conference_elearning/conference2007.htm

The sessions being offered include:

• Starting from Scratch: How to Develop a Virtual School and E-Learning in Aboriginal Communities (Pre-Forum Workshop)
• A Place Called Virtual School: The Promise of Online Learning
• KiHS: Bridging the Traditional and Virtual Classroom in Canada’s First Nation Schools
• Elluminate Inc. - Authentically Interactive: The Impact of Engaging Learners Synchronously
• The Kuh-Ke-Nah (K-Net) Development Process: A Model for First Nations Broadband Community Networks
• Preparing Teachers to Teach Online: Innovative Methods for Engaging Teachers
• G8 Supplementary Courses Program
• The Development of a Online Course that is Culturally Sensitive to Aboriginal People
• Partnering for Success: The Use of ICT and e-Learning as Transformational Agents for Social and Economic Development in Aboriginal Communities
• The Challenges of Delivering e-Learning to Remote Communities

While I'd personally love to attend, as this is a population of virtual school students that I have no experience with, I only found out about this last week and Thunder Bay is a fourteen hour drive from me. Who knows, maybe next year I might even get invited to present there.... :)

Tags: conferences, academy, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

Opportunity - The Mind Trust's Education Entrepreneur Fellowship

I received this message from Corrie Heneghan (cheneghan@themindtrust.org), who is the Chief Operating Officer for The Mind Trust, asking me to post the notice for this fellowship opportunity to my blog. I'm not sure yet how I showed up on their radar, but I was more than happy to let people who are interested in virtual schooling know about this potential two year fellowship opportunity designed "to develop sustainable solutions to the most daunting public education challenges."

- * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * -

Dear Michael:

I am the Chief Operating Officer of a new Indianapolis-based nonprofit called The Mind Trust(http://www.themindtrust.org/). Our mission is to support education entrepreneurship in Indianapolis and beyond. To achieve its mission, The Mind Trust has two principal strategies: (1) to recruit to Indianapolis those entrepreneurial education initiatives with proven track records of producing outstanding results for students, and (2) to develop a nationally unique Education Entrepreneur Fellowship that will provide talented people with ideas to transform public education the opportunity to turn those ideas into successful initiatives.

To date, The Mind Trust has successfully recruited to Indianapolis The New Teacher Project and College Summit. The Mind Trust has also committed substantial funds to bring Teach For America to Indianapolis. We will know in this month if those efforts prove successful, but all indications are positive. And The Mind Trust is working to bring a network of highly successful high school models to Indianapolis.

I am writing to you today about The Mind Trust’s Education Entrepreneur Fellowship. The Fellowship will provide promising education entrepreneurs with an unprecedented opportunity to develop sustainable solutions to the most daunting public education challenges. The attached press release provides more information on the Fellowship, as does our website: http://www.themindtrust.org/.

In short, the Fellowship is for people who envision entirely new approaches to the challenges of public education, and possess the relentless drive necessary to exploit opportunities to fulfill their visions. Fellows will receive a full-time, competitive salary, benefits, office space, and customized training and support. Fellows will be based at The Mind Trust’s offices in Indianapolis. The term of the Fellowship is two years, with the first fellows beginning their work in late spring 2008. The Mind Trust is currently accepting applications. While all fellows must include Indianapolis in the areas served by the ventures they launch, they will by no means be limited to that geography. In fact, we hope and fully expect some fellows to start regional or national enterprises.

The selection process for the Fellowship will be highly competitive. We will consider selecting up to four extraordinary people to join the inaugural cohort. Successful candidates will be relentless problem-solvers with a past record of accomplishment, driven by a commitment to children and a belief that all students can achieve at high levels. Reaching this pool of talent will be crucial to our success, and we would like to ask you to help us spread the word. If you know of anyone who might be interested in the Fellowship, we would appreciate you forwarding them the attached press release. We would also appreciate it if you would be willing to post information about our Fellowship on your blog.

I would be happy to discuss the Fellowship with you further if you would like additional information. I can be reached at 317-822-8102 ext. 101. And thank you in advance for any help you might be able to provide reaching out to potential candidates.

Thank you,

Corrie Heneghan
Chief Operating Officer
The Mind Trust
407 North Fulton Street, Suite 102
Indianapolis, IN 46202
Phone: 317-822-8102 ext. 101
Fax: 317-822-8149
Email: cheneghan@themindtrust.org

Attachment: EEF Launch Release_Final.doc

For Immediate Release

September 10, 2007

Contact: David Harris, 317-822-8102 x100

The Mind Trust launches Education Entrepreneur Fellowship; makes $900,000 initial investment in program

Fellowship is a nationally unique opportunity for entrepreneurs with great ideas to transform public education

INDIANAPOLIS – The Mind Trust, a new education nonprofit focused on promoting education entrepreneurship in Indianapolis, is now accepting applications for its flagship program, the Education Entrepreneur Fellowship. The Fellowship will provide the nation’s most promising education entrepreneurs with the support they need to develop and launch initiatives that focus on wholly new ways of confronting public education’s most vexing problems. Fellows will target underserved or disadvantaged students with solutions that attack the root problems in the delivery of public education.

“The Fellowship is designed for leaders who envision entirely new approaches in public education.” said David Harris, President and CEO of The Mind Trust. “We are looking for the most capable entrepreneurs from around the country with the most innovative ideas to transform public education.”

Each Fellowship will last two years, with the first fellows beginning their work in spring or summer of 2008. Fellows’ annual salaries will be $90,000. Each fellow will also receive $20,000 for customized training and travel over the term of their Fellowship. The Mind Trust’s initial investment in the Education Entrepreneur Fellowship is approximately $900,000.

Fellows will be based at The Mind Trust in Indianapolis. While Indianapolis will be a focus of fellows’ work, it is expected that some fellows will launch statewide or national initiatives.

“This concentration of high quality entrepreneurial talent devoted to improving public education will be enormously beneficial to Indianapolis,” Indianapolis Mayor Bart Peterson said. “Not only will The Mind Trust’s Fellowship make Indianapolis a national hub for effective education reform efforts, but the ventures launched will help the students in our city who need it most.” Mayor Peterson is the chair of The Mind Trust’s board of directors.

Fellowship application materials and additional information, including commentary about the Fellowship by national experts, are available on The Mind Trust’s website at http://www.themindtrust.org/. The deadline for the first stage of the application process is January 15, 2008.

The Mind Trust has already helped launch in Indianapolis Public Schools two of the nation’s most successful education initiatives – The New Teacher Project and College Summit.

The Mind Trust’s mission is to attract, support, and empower the nation's most effective and promising education entrepreneurs to transform public education outcomes for children in Indianapolis and beyond.

-30-

Tags: academy, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

Articles Needed: Online Learning

I thought that some of my readers might be interested in the following...

A message from Ben Varner (ben.varner@unco.edu).

Colleagues--

The end of this month is the deadline for article submissions for "Online Learning" in _Academic Exchange Quarterly_:

http://rapidintellect.com/AEQweb/5onlin.htm

If you have an article consisting of 3,000 words or fewer on this topic, send it to the following:

http://rapidintellect.com/AEQweb/rufen1.htm

Click on "Try Six Simple Submission Steps" for the most expeditious way of submitting your article.Previous issues of _AEQ_ are now online for free:

http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Academic+Exchange+Quarterly-p268

If you have any questions, feel free to send them to me.

Ben Varner--
Feature Editor
Academic Exchange Quarterly
http://rapidintellect.com/AEQweb/edpbva.htm

Tags: open source, online journals, e-journals, academy, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

[Innovate] Special Issue on the Future of Education

This may be something that virtual school researchers might be interested in submitting too. I know that I am considering it and the 15 October deadline is a good time frame.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------


A message from James L Morrison (morrison@unc.edu ).

This special issue focuses on trends, pressures, and evolutions shaping the future of education in all its forms, with particular consideration of the role of information technologies in creating that future.

The future of education--whether in public or private schools, colleges or universities, corporate training rooms, or other yet-to-be-imagined venues--is a vision dimly seen on an uncertain horizon. Tectonic technological, social, economic, and political shifts, driven by the accelerating pace of information technology, globalization, and an evolving culture of knowledge, render already unstable futures largely unknowable. Educational systems face even more immediate pressures arising from the increasing role of for-profit education providers, learner access to open content, and the growth of the "participation culture." Change, even radical change, is unavoidable; tomorrow’s education and training systems are not likely to resemble today’s educational complex.

Whatever the future holds for education, information technologies will play a role. The creative use of information technology can enhance education processes, enabling educators to meet new challenges and reshape education's role in society. The technologies of education, and the use of technology in education, are both drivers of change and indicators of future directions.

Submissions for this special issue may address, but are not limited to, these key issues:

1. What does the "rise of the amateur" in media, music, and news industries suggest for education providers of the future?

2. What is the role of universities and colleges when the world's information is at the fingertips of learners, without the mediation of experts? Or when experts make those resources freely available through MIT's OpenCourseWare or Open University's OpenLearn?

3. Is a copyright system designed to protect physical objects—books,
magazines, and journals—capable of serving the digital knowledge needs of the next generation?

4. How can technological tools be used by developed countries to assist emerging countries in educating their people?

5. How should governance and leadership be structured in educational institutions facing exponential change?

6. Are existing research agendas and methodologies capable of answering the knowledge needs of the next generation?

7. Do our existing theories of learning reflect how digital natives learn in the information age?

If you would like to submit a manuscript on this topic, please send it to the guest editor of this issue, George Siemans (gsiemens@elearnspace.org ) and to me (jlm@nova.edu ) no later than October 15, 2007.

Thanks!

Jim
----
James L Morrison
Editor-in-Chief, Innovate
http://www.innovateonline.info/
Professor Emeritus of Educational Leadership
UNC-Chapel Hill
http://horizon.unc.edu/

Tags: open source, online journals, e-journals, academy, digital natives, generational differences, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

Net Generation- July Innovate-Live Webcast Schedule

Happy fourth of July for my US readers...

A message from James L Morrison.

Innovate-Live webcasts offer an opportunity to synchronously interact with authors of selected articles in the June/July 2007 issue of Innovate (http://www.innovateonline.info ), an open access e-journal published by the Fischler School of Education and Social Services at Nova Southeastern University. These webcasts are produced as a public service by our partner, ULiveandLearn (http://www.uliveandlearn.com/ ). Registration is free, but advanced registration is mandatory. Also, space is limited, so register NOW. To register, go to the following site: http://www.uliveandlearn.com/PortalInnovate/

All times are Eastern time (sync with New York). You may use the world clock at http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html to coordinate the time with your time zone.

The schedule for the July Innovate-Live webcasts is provided below.

July 11, 2007

1:00 PM
Author: Donald Philip
The Knowledge Building Paradigm: A Model of Learning for Net Generation Students
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=368

If you cannot attend a webcast, note that it will be archived within the features section of the article itself shortly after the event and in the Innovate-Live portal.

Please forward this announcement to colleagues who are interested in using informtion technology tools in their work more effectively.

Many thanks.

Jim
----
James L. Morrison
Editor-in-Chief, Innovate
http://www.innovateonline.info
Professor Emeritus of Educational Leadership
UNC-Chapel Hill
http://horizon.unc.edu

Tags: open source, online journals, e-journals, academy, digital natives, generational differences, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

Innovate - June/July Author Webcast Schedule

In addition to the information about the latest issue of Innovate, another one which contained some articles on this next generation of students, here is some information about their up-coming webcasts that correspond to those articles.

A message from James L. Morrison (jlm@nova.edu ).

Innovate-Live webcasts offer an opportunity to synchronously interact with authors of selected articles in the June/July 2007 issue of Innovate, an open access e-journal published by the Fischler School of Education and Social Services at Nova Southeastern University. These webcasts are produced as a public service by our partner, ULiveandLearn. Registration is free, but advanced registration is mandatory. Also, space is limited, so register NOW. To register, go to the following site:

http://www.uliveandlearn.com/PortalInnovate/

All times are Eastern time (sync with New York). You may use the world clock at http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converter.html to coordinate the time with your time zone.

The schedule for the June/July Innovate-Live webcasts is provided below.

June 14, 2007

12:00 PM
Authors: Bill Gibbs and Erik Larson
Using Video Conferencing in Lecture Classes
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=388

1:00 PM
Authors: Kathleen Roney and MaryAnn Davies
Coaching and Mentoring on the Internet Highway
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=294

2:00 PM
Authors: Sarah Lohnes and Charles Kinzer
Questioning Assumptions About Students' Expectations for Technology in College Classrooms
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=431

July 11, 2007

12:00 PM
Author: Howard Wach
Changing Needs, Changing Models: Instructional Technology Training at Bronx Community College
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=424

1:00 PM
Author: Donald Philip
The Knowledge Building Paradigm: A Model of Learning for Net Generation Students
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=368

3:00 PM
Authors: Edward Gehringer, Luke Ehresman, Susan G. Conger, and Prasad Wagle
Reusable Learning Objects Through Peer Review: The Expertiza Approach
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=365

To Be Announced (Check the Innovate-Live Portal)

Authors: Helen Sword and Michele Leggott
Backwards into the Future: Seven Principles for Educating the Ne(x)t Generation
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=389

If you cannot attend a webcast, note that it will be archived within the features section of the article itself shortly after the event and in the Innovate-Live portal.

Many thanks.

Jim
----
James L. Morrison
Editor-in-Chief, Innovate
http://www.innovateonline.info
Professor Emeritus of Educational Leadership
UNC-Chapel Hill
http://horizon.unc.edu

Tags: open source, online journals, e-journals, academy, digital natives, generational differences, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

Innovate June/July Issue

More articles on the "Net Generation" - a popular theme on this blog. Note that after the first couple of articles, there are items about topics that aren't as germaine to this blog.

A message from James L Morrison (morrison@unc.edu ).

We open the June/July issue of Innovate (www.innovateonline.info ) with two articles that resume the discussion of the Net Generation from our previous issue - but with very different assessments of the educational playing field. In addressing the needs of this population, Donald Philip proposes a model of education that acknowledges the sociocultural changes wrought by new technological tools, taps into the virtualization of knowledge arising from such tools, and fashions learning environments based on small, flexible groups that resemble the small teams currently used by institutions in the business world. (See http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=368 )

However, Sarah Lohnes and Charles Kinzer caution that our assumptions about the Net Generation may often be based on generalizations that do not sufficiently address contextual differences from one population to the next. Their ethnographic study found that while liberal arts students relied extensively on technology in their everyday lives, they remained resistant to in-class technology use and instead endorsed a traditional model of education based on interpersonal contact with the instructor. (See http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=431 )

While debates about the Net Generation will continue, instructors are also addressing these questions through innovative forms of pedagogical practice. Helen Sword and Michelle Leggott discuss how their students used online tools to preserve literary texts from university archives while also exploring the potential of such tools to support new, collaborative forms of creative expression in cyberspace. (See
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=389 )

Edward Gehringer, Luke Ehresman, Susan G. Conger, and Prasad Wagle offer an account of how a custom-designed software product was used in computer science courses to support the construction of peer-reviewed learning objects by the students themselves, which can in turn be assessed, modified, or supplemented by future students in the same course, thereby allowing students to take ownership of their learning to an entirely new level. (See http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=365 )

Bill Gibbs and Erik Larson illustrate the use of a videoconferencing system to deliver highly detailed forms of instruction in courses focusing on multimedia design and software design for online and hybrid courses. (See http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=388 )

Meanwhile, future innovations in pedagogy and instructional design will continue to rely upon effective, well-planned faculty development and teacher training programs. In his account of faculty development efforts at Bronx Community College, Howard Wach outlines how these efforts evolved through three major formats—two-hour technology workshops, semester-long workshops, and a one-week summer program—and he describes the respective challenges and advantages afforded by each format. (See http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=424 )

We close this issue with an article by Kathleen Roney and MaryAnn Davies, who describe how they employed a Web-based communications tool to promote standards-based instruction, foster reflective practice and focused mentoring, and facilitate the development of electronic portfolios to help teacher education interns bridge the gap between their training and their classroom practice. (See http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=294 )

Finally, please do not forget the Innovate-Live Seminar Series beginning Tuesday, June 5 through Friday, June 8, 2007. The seminar program and registration (free) is available at our Innovate-Live portal at http://www.uliveandlearn.com/PortalInnovate/

Please forward this announcement to appropriate mailing lists and to colleagues who want to use IT tools to advance their work. Ask your organizational librarian to link to Innovate in their resource section for open-access e-journals.

Thanks!

Jim
----
James L. Morrison
Editor-in-Chief, Innovate
http://www.innovateonline.info
Professor Emeritus of Educational Leadership
UNC-Chapel Hill
http://horizon.unc.edu

Tags: open source, online journals, e-journals, academy, digital natives, generational differences, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

May Innovate-Live Webcasts

The second and the last one fit into the often mentioned theme of the next generation of students...

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Innovate-Live webcasts offer an opportunity to synchronously interact with authors of selected articles in the April/May 2007 issue of Innovate, an open access e-journal published by the Fischler School of Education and Social Services at Nova Southeastern University. These webcasts are produced as a public service by our partner, ULiveandLearn , If you wish toparticipate in the webcasts, please register at http://www.uliveandlearn.com/PortalInnovate/

All times are Eastern time (sync with New York). You may use the world clock to coordinate the time with your time zone.

The schedule for the May Innovate-Live webcasts is provided below. ChrisDavis, the guest editor of this issue, will moderate all sessions.

May 8, 2007
12:00 p.m.
Author: Mark van Hooft
Schools, Children, and Digital Technology: Building Better Relationships for a Better Tomorrow
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=376

2:00 p.m.
Author Holly Peterson
Alumni e-Networks: Using Technology to Engage Net Generation Alumni
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=383

3:00 p.m.
Author: Dana J. Wilber
My Literacies: Understanding the Net Generation through Live Journals and Literacy Practices
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=384

4:00 p.m.
Author: John Thompson
Is Education 1.0 Ready for Web 2.0 Students?
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=393

If you cannot attend a webcast, note that it will be archived within the features section of the article itself shortly after the event and in the Innovate-Live portal.

Many thanks.
Jim
----
James L. Morrison
Editor-in-Chief, Innovate
http://www.innovateonline.info
Professor Emeritus of Educational Leadership
UNC-Chapel Hill
http://horizon.unc.edu

Tags: open source, online journals, e-journals, academy, digital natives, generational differences, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

Innovate-Live Spring Seminar Series

A message from James L Morrison (morrison@unc.edu) to the Instructional Technology Forum listserve (ITFORUM@listserv.uga.edu).

The Innovate-Live Seminar Series is a series of webcasts produced by our partner, ULiveandLearn, that cover timely issues that arise when educators attempt to use information technology tools to enhance the educational process writ broad. These seminars will be archived within the Innovate-Live portal. Particularly relevant discussions may give rise toa rticles that could be considered for publication in Innovate. If you would like to lead a seminar on an issue you regard as timely and important to the community, please send me a paragraph or two framing the issue and suggest who would join you in the audio discussion. The deadline for the fall 2007 seminar series is August 15, 2007.

The 2007 spring seminar series is described below. If you would like to participate in any of these seminars, please go to http://www.uliveandlearn.com/PortalInnovate/ and either login if you have participated in a previous Innovate-Live webcast or take a minute toregister if you haven't. (Registration is free.)

[Note that Ididn't include all of the seminars, only the one(s) that may be of interest to readers of this blog]

June 8, 2007, 2:00 PM EST
Implications of the Sloan 2006 Report
Seminar Leader: Alan McCord, Lawrence Technological University

The recently published Sloan Consortium found that online learning continues to grow dramatically with no signs of an enrollment plateau. Lower-level undergraduate students comprise the largest segment of online learners, but graduate students appear to be taking advantage of online programs as a way to help balance academic and workplace demands.

While perceptions of online program quality are improving, significant barriers to the growth of online programs remain, including increased faculty skepticism over the past three years about the value and legitimacy of online learning. More faculty agree than disagree with claims regarding the value and legitimacy of online education, but a notable increase in the percentage of faculty who are concerned about the value of online education deserves discussion. This online dialogue will identify faculty concerns about online programs, identify institutional and pedagogical practices that may contribute to increased skepticism, and consider how faculty skepticism may be addressed.

Please forward this announcement to colleagues who may want to participate in them.

Thanks!
Jim
----
James L Morrison
Editor-in-Chief, Innovate
http://www.innovateonline.info
Professor Emeritus of Educational Leadership
UNC-Chapel Hill
http://horizon.unc.edu
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As a side note: The Sloan report is the latest statistics we have as to exactly how many virtual school students there are t the K-12 level. This report, released in March, indicated that during the 2005-06 school year there were approximately 700,000 students taking one or more courses online. NACOL currently estimates, based on extrapolations of the Sloan figure and previous data that this year there are more than a million students. This guess-timate should be taken with a grain of salt, as a report five years ago by Fulton indicated that a majority of K-12 students would be taking online courses by this point in time - a figure that has yet to be realized.

Tags: open source, online journals, e-journals, academy, digital natives, generational differences, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

Webcasts on Net Generation

Further to my posting of the contents of the latest Innovate e-journal, below is message I received today concerning webcasts that Innovate have with each of the article's authors. They are well worth attending if you are available.

Innovate-Live webcasts offer an opportunity to synchronously interact with authors of selected articles in the April/May 2007 issue of Innovate, an open access e-journal published by the Fischler School of Education and Social Services at Nova Southeastern University. These webcasts are produced as a public service by our partner, ULiveandLearn . If you wish to participate in the webcasts, please register at
http://www.uliveandlearn.com/PortalInnovate/

All times are Eastern time (sync with New York). You may use the world clock to coordinate the time with your time zone.

The schedule for the April/May Innovate-Live webcasts is provided below. Chris Davis, the guest editor of this issue, will moderate all sessions.

April 12, 2007

11:00 a.m.
Teaching and Learning with the Net Generation
Authors: Kassandra Barnes, Raymond Marateo, and S. Pixy Ferris
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=382

May 8, 2007

12:00 p.m.
Author: Mark van ‘t Hooft
Schools, Children, and Digital Technology: Building Better Relationships
for a Better Tomorrow
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=376

2:00 p.m.
Author Holly Peterson
Alumni e-Networks: Using Technology to Engage Net Generation Alumni
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=383

3:00 p.m.
Author: Dana J. Wilber
MyLiteracies: Understanding the Net Generation through LiveJournals and
Literacy Practices
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=384

4:00 p.m.
Author: John Thompson
Is Education 1.0 Ready for Web 2.0 Students?
http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=393

If you cannot attend a webcast, note that it will be archived within the features section of the article itself shortly after the event and in the Innovate-Live portal.

Many thanks.

Jim
----
James L. Morrison
Editor-in-Chief, Innovate
http://www.innovateonline.info
Professor Emeritus of Educational Leadership
UNC-Chapel Hill
http://horizon.unc.edu

Tags: open source, online journals, e-journals, academy, digital natives, generational differences, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

April-May Issue - The Net Generation

This is something that I'd normally post to my Breaking into the Academy blog, but given the focus on today's youth (the Net Generation as they refer to them, digital natives as I've discussed here in the past) I figured that it may be of interest to my own readership.

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A message from James L. Morrison (jlm@nova.edu).

The April/May issue of Innovate focuses on the Net Generation, a generationthat grew up with video games, computers, and the Internet. The expectations, attitudes, and fluency with technology of this new generation present both a challenge and an opportunity for educators. In this special issue of Innovate, guest edited by Chris Davis, we examine how educatorsand educational systems can respond to the challenge and leverage the opportunity.

Kassandra Barnes, Raymond Marateo, and S. Pixy Ferris introduce the issue by describing the learning styles and preference of Net Generation learners and the implications of these attributes for educators. (See http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=382 )

The technology that shapes these students' lives can seem dangerous to adults. Mark van Hooft explores the issue related to online social networking and online communication tools by teenagers. While the first reaction of many parents and schools is to limit access to these tools to protect children, van Hooft argues that children can show adults the use and benefits of the technology, while adults can develop children's understanding of the responsible use of technology. (See http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=376 )

Because many higher education classrooms are a mix of students from multiple generations, understanding the needs of all generations is key to being effective, especially when using technology to support learning. To meet this need, Paula Garcia and Jingjing Qin describe a research project that analyzed the differences and similarities between traditional and non-traditional students in regards to comfort with technology and attitudes about learning. (See http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=379 )

To understand the consequences of Web 2.0, Dana Wilber discusses her ethnographic study of a Net Generation college student illustrating some ofthe ways that online journals and social networking sites are used by students and providing a window for educators to consider how these tools can be used to support learning. (See http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=384 )

Of course, technology continues to evolve in ways that shape education. John Thompson describes the transition from Web 1.0 to Web 2.0 and how this affects learning and teaching. Where Web 1.0 provided access to massive volumes of information, Web 2.0 provides users with the ability to become producers as well as consumers of this information. This technology transition puts pressure on education to also become more interactive and enable learners to be producers as well as consumers. (See http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=393 )

The impact of the Net Generation reaches beyond the classroom. Holly Peterson discusses how to engage alumni from this generation, using a casestudy of one organization's effort to establish an online alumni community. This experience can guide anyone attempting to create an online community; the lessons learned may apply to attempts to reach current students as well as alumni. (See http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=383 )

Finally, in his Places to Go feature, Stephen Downes discusses Google as the site that most reflects the spirit and characteristics of the Net Generation. Using the Google search results for "Net Generation," Downes reflects on how the Net Generation accesses, creates, and uses information. Just as Google represents a dramatic change in managing information compared to traditional forms of media, the Net Generation represents achanging approach to media. (See http://innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=455 )

We hope that you enjoy this special issue of Innovate. Please explore our discussion boards, live webcasts, and other features as well. And please forward this announcement to colleagues who are interested in using information technology in creative ways.

Thanks!
Jim
----
James L Morrison
Editor-in-Chief, Innovate
http://www.innovateonline.info
Professor Emeritus of Educational Leadership
UNC-Chapel Hill
http://horizon.unc.edu

Tags: open source, online journals, e-journals, academy, digital natives, generational differences, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education