PBS - Growing Up Online

Apparently PBS did this show earlier this week entitled "Growing Up Online". Here are a couple of entries that I've seen on the show:

• Review of Frontline’s “Growing up Online” from Clif's Notes
• TV: PBS Frontline Growing Up Online from Designed to Inspire - : instructional design : technology : online learning

If you know of others, just post them here.

Tags: digital natives, generational differences, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

Blogging About The Next Generation

Yesterday we had a bunch of entries about virtual schooling, today some ideas about the next generation and their needs.

• SHOCKING! from DeedsDoings2006
• ALERT: Position Practicum! from DeedsDoings2006
• The Millenials (nee Google) Generation may not really be Digital Natives afterall from EDITing in the Dark
• Do Generational Differences Matter in Instructional Design from elearnspace
• Student Take on a 21st Century Education from Remote Access
• Embrace E-Learning Presentation from Teaching and Developing Online
• Changing the approach... from Teaching and Developing Online
• Elearning vs Traditional Classroom Instruction from Teaching and Developing Online
• Growing Up Digital from Teaching and Developing Online

BTW, if you know of some blogs that I generally don't monitor (i.e., that I never include in these blogging about... entries), please post them as a comment to this entry so that I can add them to my Bloglines.

Tags: blog, blogging, blogs, digital natives, generational differences, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

More Opening Discussion

This will be the last message that I will re-post from what I expect will be a lively discussion. This is Dr. Reeves', the author of this week's discussion paper, first message to the discussion.

Hi Bev,

Thank you for kicking off the discussion of my paper titled “Do Generational Differences Matter in Instructional Design?” Let me remind participants in this discussion that this paper reports my review of the literature concerning generational differences and instructional design, not my own opinions about the importance of generational differences in education and training.

The bottom line of my analysis of the existing literature is that the generational differences “research” is quite weak (based largely on dubious surveys) and that this research provides an inadequate basis for differential instructional designs or the use of alternative training delivery systems for different generations. That said, there are people in the industry who are convinced that things like virtual reality and multiplayer online games have enormous potential for training and educating the “Net Generation” (i.e., those born from 1981-2000). It is an appealing notion, but not one that has sufficient substantive research underpinning it.Â

As your comments indicate, Bev, the important thing for instructional designers to remember is that any project we undertake is only as good as the needs assessment, learner analysis, and other front end analytical activities that we conduct. We cannot afford to abandon our most important tools under the assumption that “Oh wow, my workers are mostly from the Net Generation, so I need to develop an interactive gaming environment for them.”

Are the people investing heavily in training games and simulations making a mistake? No, as long as they have done an adequate analysis of their target audience. I hope that the U.S. Army has done such an analysis because they have spent millions developing an advanced video game to attract new recruits. According to the official website for the “America’s Army” game (http://www.goarmy.com/aarmy/index.jsp): “America's Army provides civilians with an inside perspective and a virtual role in today's premier land force: the U.S. Army. The game is designed to provide an accurate portrayal of Soldier experiences. The game is an entertaining way for young adults to be educated about the U.S. Army and see some of the career opportunities available to Soldiers in the U.S. Army — all this as a virtual Soldier. America's Army emphasizes teamwork, values and responsibility as means to achieving the goals.”

The U.S. Armed Forces are also developing sophisticated interactive simulations for the what they view as the unique training requirements of 21st Century warfare. For example, Verton (2005) describes how the Department of Defense is investing millions of dollars in efforts to develop highly realistic battlefield simulations to train troops for the types of urban fighting that they will increasingly face in countries like Iraq. These simulations are being developed for what is known as “fourth generation warfare” in which enemies are embedded with civilians and there is no clear cut frontline.

Fuhr (2005) reported that the U.S. military services are requesting industry and academia to engage in advanced research and development related to 3D visualization for training simulations. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is also investing in high fidelity training simulations to train first responders such as police, emergency medical personnel, and fire fighters. Clearly, some people believe that there is a future in games and simulation. Personally, I agree, but I am concerned that corporations, government agencies, and others are not investing in the right kinds of research and development efforts.

Bev, you expressed concern about the lack of attention to the unique needs of Baby Boomers. There certainly are plenty of us still in the workplace, but more and more of us are retiring everyday. (This trend may slow if stock portfolios continue to shrink!) Baby Boomers possess a huge proportion of the expertise in today’s workplace, and I think we need to pay much more attention to how that knowledge is going to be managed and handed off to the Gen X and Gen Y workers. This is another area where much more research and development must be done. We cannot afford to lose the hard-earned knowledge, skills, attitudes, and drive of the Baby Boomer generation. (I must confess to some degree of self-interest here….I am a Baby Boomer….born in 1947.)

Fuhr, J. (2005). JFCOM wants “more advanced” visualizations. Military Training Technology Online. Retrieved May 23, 2006, from http://www.military-training-technology.com/

Verton, D. (2005). Simulating Fallujah: Graphics engines, supercomputers, and real gunpowder. Computerworld. Retrieved May 3, 2006, from http://www.computerworld.com

Again, to join the discussion:

The easiest way to subscribe is to go to this page:

http://www.listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=itforum&A=1

Or to subscribe to ITForum by email send an email to:

listserv@listserv.uga.edu

In the body of the message type:

SUBSCRIBE ITFORUM Firstname Lastname

I hope to see you there...

Tags: digital natives, generational differences, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

The Discussion Begin - The Next Generation

Last week I reported about an online discussion that was going to be held on the ITForum listserve (see The Next Generation). Well, today begins the discussion and the initial message has been posted by the listserve's moderator:

Discussion Week- First Questions Thoughts

Well..after reading the paper, I have decided that if the GenXers are going to be considered technological dinosaurs, then I must be prehistoric sludge ! :).

As I read through the paper, the one thing that struck me most was the feeling that there is really no training being planned or considered for the Boomers and maybe just a little more for the GenX. It is mostly about the younger generations and that indicates a basic underlying problem with our throw away society. Is someone no longer considered useful and needing training for improving present or future skills, volunteer work, etc just because they don't care to indulge in games that might be considered an escape from rather than a confrontation of issues of the day? The paper did not mention one thing I could find about designing for the Boomer age group/range as compared to the game groups in the current business world state.

I have been doing some research lately into the transfer of training issue and this paper seems to promote the idea of spending millions on gaming training, because that is what it will cost to constantly develop games with no proof that it will yield any better results and for less expense or more effective instruction. Is there really any proof that gaming is any better than movies, educational tv, cbt, wbt, elearning, mlearning and all of the other technological "hurrays" that have gone through the educational/training systems? The cost and time of designing such training in a rapidly changing environment would be astronomical. Why should there be such an emphasis on adrenalin/stress promoting training design as this paper mentions in order to "keep up the pace"?

Training design should always be contextual and it can be engaging, but "fun" is not a requirement. Motivation involves many things and enjoyable does not necessarily mean "fun" and there is considerable difference about what one might consider "fun".

There are two or three things that stick out most in my mind. One is that there a definite bias towards promoting the younger generations when thinking that training should involve games, there is little or no mention of gender differences in the "game" design issue and there is a definite bias against the SES futures of those who cannot afford the education and training to be included in the literature/surveys. Is gaming really the way to promote knowledge/training for this group of people who may not be able to afford a computer, have limited access even in school and yet would be expected to have "gaming" skills for training purposes/design? What happened to learner analysis?

Again, to join ITForum and become part of the discussion, you can:

The easiest way to subscribe is to go to this page:

http://www.listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=itforum&A=1

Or to subscribe to ITForum by email send an email to:

listserv@listserv.uga.edu

In the body of the message type:

SUBSCRIBE ITFORUM Firstname Lastname

I hope to see you there...

Tags: digital natives, generational differences, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

The Next Generation

Its been a while since we discussed the next generation and generational differences. Well, that is all that they will be doing next week on the ITForum listserve.

Members

We have had a rather long time without a paper due to holidays and semesters, so we will be making up for lost time soon!

Next Week, Tues through Friday we will be discussing Dr. Reeves paper Do Generational Differences Matter In Instructional Design.

It can be found at the link below and you can also take a look at the upcoming topics.

http://it.coe.uga.edu/itforum/upcoming.html

I look forward to our first debate in 2008!
--
Bev Ferrell, EdD
ITF moderator

If you are interested in joining the listserve (and the discussion), you can join by:

The easiest way to subscribe is to go to this page:

http://www.listserv.uga.edu/cgi-bin/wa?SUBED1=itforum&A=1

Or to subscribe to ITForum by email send an email to:

listserv@listserv.uga.edu

In the body of the message type:

SUBSCRIBE ITFORUM Firstname Lastname

I hope to see you as part of the discussion, I know that I'll be participating.

Tags: digital natives, generational differences, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

Blogging About The Next Generation

Cleaning out my Bloglines again, some items of tomorrow's students.

• 21st Century Student! (Digital Native) from DeedsDoings2006
• Get SMART! Go DIGITAL! from DeedsDoings2006
• Perspectives on Communicating with the Net Generation - Lynn Zimmerman and Anastasia Trekles Milligan, Innovate Online from Online Learning Update
• Fair Use Education for the Twenty-First Century - Christine Greenhow, et al; Innovate Online from Online Learning Update
• On being a student 24/7 from EDITing in the Dark
• Rethinking Adolescence Rethinking Schools from Remote Access
• 21st Century Learning - Invent It While It’s Happening. from Teaching Generation Z

Until next time...

Tags: blog, blogging, blogs, digital natives, generational differences, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

CIDER: You are invited to a CIDER Session with Dr. Jon Dron

In keeping with the listings of webinars and online presentations about social networking and this next generation of students, here's another.

Dear CIDER member:

We are currently building the 2008 schedule of free CIDER presentations, and we are looking for distance education researchers who are willing to share a recent project or research related work with our community. The CIDER sessions are scheduled for every second Friday from 11:00am-12:00pm MST. They usually consist of 30-40 minutes of presentation, followed by 20-30 minutes of questions and discussion. If you are interested in presenting your work in an upcoming CIDER presentation, please contact Lynn Anderson at lynnlo@cogeco.ca

We would also like to take this opportunity to invite you to the next presentation in our series of free CIDER sessions. This session will feature a presentation and discussion with Dr. Jon Dron, Associate Professor in the School of Computing and Information Systems at Athabasca University.

Title: Designing the Undesignable: Social Software and Control

In this presentation, Dr. Jon Dron will discuss his recently published article, "Designing the Undesignable: Social Software and Control". In this article, Dr. Dron states that social software, such as blogs, wikis, tagging systems and collaborative filters, treats the group as a first-class object within the system. Drawing from theories of transactional distance and control, he proposes a model of e-learning that extends traditional concepts of learner-teacher-content interactions to include these emergent properties of the group. Some of the dangers and issues that need to be addressed in order for this new model to fulfill its promise will be explored, and a framework of principles to be used by designers of educationally-oriented social software will be discussed.

When: Friday, December 14, 2007, 11am-12pm MST (Alberta)

Where: Online via Elluminate at:
https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?password=M.8B71B60F2931D029AC3837DC06B70D

Pre-Configuration
Please make sure your Mac or PC is equipped with a microphone and speakers, so that we can use the Voice over IP functionality built into the web conferencing software. Please note that it is extremely important that you get your system set up prior to the start of the event. Please don't wait until the day of the session to do this. Information on installing the necessary software and configuring your PC is available at http://www.elluminate.com/support/ in the "First Time Users" section. If necessary, Elluminate customer care technicians are available to assist you toll-free at 866-388-8674 option 2. International users can dial 703-956-3812.

The session will be recorded and available for future playback from http://cider.athabascau.ca/CIDERSessions/

CIDER is a Community Partner of Elluminate - http://www.elluminate.com - who proudly sponsors our web conferencing needs. To sign up for a free, no obligation three-user version of Elluminate, please visit http://www.getvroom.com

Unlike the last two I posted, this one is free - and I heard Dr. Dron speak at e-Learn a few years ago and he is entertaining, so make sure you check it out.

Tags: CIDER, digital natives, generational differences, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

CNIE - Pro-D Event - Socializing Teaching and Learning

Not quite K-12, but in keeping with the theme of the nature of today's students.

Below is the description of our next Wise & Witty Weekday session for this academic year.

Title: Socializing Teaching and Learning
George Siemens
12 December 2007 at 1:00 P.M. (Eastern)
Mode: Elluminate Live!

********
ABSTRACT
********

During the last five years, the web has shifted from an information presentation medium to a medium of social exchange. Many of today’s frequently referenced applications and tools – blogs, wikis, podcasts, Twitter, Facebook, MySpace – are social in nature. How do these tools impact teaching? This session will explore a broad range of social technologies and consider their use in teaching and learning.

******************************

To register for this session, please contact Tim Howard of CNIE in Ottawa at cnie-rcie@cnie-rcie.ca, phone 613.241.0018 or fax 613.241.0019. You are welcome to collect your colleagues at your site.

You will receive instructions before the event.

Registrations rates are $25 per workshop per individual OR $100 per workshop per site. Please add the appropriate GST or HST.

We are fortunate in having a small committee to arrange for this and further sessions. The committee members are Krista Francis-Poscente, Bill Fricker, and Bev Pasian. We will announce details for other sessions planned for the year; watch the listserve or our Web site for developments. If you have ideas for future sessions, please let us know.

Due to the fee, I won't be attending. But if you do, let me know how it is.

Tags: CNIE, digital natives, generational differences, 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

Blogging About The Next Generation

Here are some things in my Bloglines that deal with this next generation of students

• Getting DIGITALLY CONNECTED! from DeedsDoings2006
• Getting DIGITAL! from DeedsDoings2006
• National Survey of Student Engagement from Online Learning Update
• Survey of Students Shows Tweens Most Interested in Taking Online Courses from Online Learning Update
• Online Learning 'Digital Natives' Thrive in Southern California Climate from Online Learning Update
• Digital Ignorants from Cognitive Dissonance
• Kids and Digital Identities from Remote Access
• Digital Natives, Digital Immigrants from Teaching and Developing Online.

Here are also some items about this notion of "21st Century Skills" (if you want to see what I think of this, check out my post on VSS2007 - Virtual Schools and 21st Century Skills).

• 21st Century Learning: 'We're Not Even Close' from Distance-Educator.com's Daily News
• 21st Century Learning: 'We're Not Even Close' from Teaching and Developing Online.

Until next time...

Tags: blog, blogging, blogs, digital natives, generational differences, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

What Are Kids Learning in Virtual Worlds?

So, it will be tomorrow before I get to post my final thoughts on the Virtual School Symposium. In the meantime, I got this from the MacArthur E-newsletter that I get in my inbox.

What Are Kids Learning in Virtual Worlds?

You are invited to a panel discussion on the wonders and worries of virtual worlds for kids and parents on Wednesday, November 14, 2007 at 6:00 p.m. at the Davidson Conference Center at the University of Southern California. Participants include journalist Anastasia Goodstein, Global Kids Director Barry Joseph, UCLA Professor Yasmin Kafai, MacArthur Vice President Julia Stasch Common Sense Media CEO Jim Steyer, and USC Professor Doug Thomas. To attend, please register by November 10. MacArthurs $50 million digital media and learning initiative seeks to help determine how digital technologies are changing the way young people learn, play, socialize, and participate in civic life. View the invitation.

for more information

	MacArthur's digital media and learning website
	MacArthur digital media and learning grants
	Video: "Are kids changing because of digital media?"

Should be interesting...

Tags: blog, blogging, blogs, digital natives, generational differences, virtual school, cyber school, high school, education

Blogging About Today's Students

Two days ago is was the entries from my Bloglines account about virtual schooling. Today it is the entries about today's student and other generational differences.

• Digital Immigrants and Digital Natives from elearnspace
• Future of media and those crazy kids from elearnspace
• The Future of Teaching from Teaching and Developing Online.

Until next time...

Tags: blog, blogging, blogs, digital natives, generational differences, 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
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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

Blogging about Generational Differences

Another Bloglines cleaning post... This one is looking at entries dealing with this next generation of students (i.e., digital natives, millennials, net generation, etc.).

• Don Tapscott and Wikinomics from Derek's Blog
• Research says... from elearnspace
• Cyber Teens from Teaching and Developing Online
• My Digital Natives & Yours... shaping how we teach 5 years later from Research Quest
• Baby steps to success with digital natives... from Research Quest
• Baby steps out the door... baby steps in the classroom... baby steps to success from Research Quest

That's all for now...

Tags: blog, blogging, blogs, 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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For information about this list, including archives and how tounsubscribe, please go to the ITFORUM web site: http://it.coe.uga.edu/itforum/
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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