Tag: current trends

Educational Technology: Current Trends and Future Directions

I am excited to be today’s keynote speaker at the LearnIT Conference at Northern Illinois University. I’ve enjoyed spending the past several days visiting innovative schools in the greater Chicago area. The classroom visits and conversations with the students, faculty, and administrators have been enjoyable and valuable. I’ve also enjoyed learning about the programs and initiatives in NIU’s College of Education. I appreciate the many individuals that have hosted me along the way. This trip has provided me with new ideas and inspiration. I’m sure today’s conference will be the icing on the cake.

Below are my slides and a few notes related to my keynote presentation. I’ll be reflecting on some of the current trends in education and technology, and sharing my recommendations for the directions in which the field should move going forward. I invite your thoughts and feedback.

Educational Technology: Current Trends and Future Directions

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The following serves as an outline of some of the topics that will be highlighted and demonstrated.

  • Standards, 21st Century Learning, and Higher-Order Thinking Skills
  • Classroom Examples
  • Web 2.0 Tools and Services
  • Benefits and Barriers
  • “Telecollaboration”
  • Audio and Video
  • Mash-Ups
  • Mobile Learning
  • Interactivity
  • State of Innovation
  • A Personal Experience
  • Conclusions and Discussion
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DIY Learning: A Path toward Personalized Learning

The following is an excerpt from an article by Marie Bjerede on O’Reilly Radar. It spotlights a few educational innovations that continue to gain traction.

The “DIY ethic is now seeping into one of the most locked-down social institutions in existence: education. Educators, parents, technologists, students, and others have begun looking at the components, subassemblies, assemblies and specifications of excellent education and are finding ways to improve, reimagine, and reinvent learning at every level…In every way, they are looking at the components of teaching and learning, and finding ways to re-create them to be more efficient; more effective; and, critically, more modular.” (Source)

Key Terms

The following are few terms that are included within the article. Regardless of your philosophical leanings it is important that we are aware of current trends and innovations within education. Take a few moments to make sure you are familiar with their meanings.

  • Schoolers
  • Edupunks
  • Makers
  • Maker Faire

Personalized Learning

Bierede concludes, “In a pretty fundamental way, DIY is intrinsically about owning your learning as well as your hardware. No wonder there is a growing movement to open it up, void the warranty, and tinker. What will you make of it?” (Source)

We’re on a path toward personalized learning.

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