JJFBbennett

iPADS are now an important learning tool within the 21st Century school environment. Schools need to view creative media as one of the key "learning corner stones" of the contemporary classroom. Classrooms should enable students to express their cultural situation, their stories and knowledge expressions whilst employing creative technologies such as iPADs. This need is well stated  by  Henry Jenkins re: "Convergence Culture". If you don't know Henry Jenkins play this video; A relatively new animation media app for the iPADS enables students to self express in an immediate and rewarding manner. The app looks fun and engaging. The app is called Blush Undivided Video. Check out the app via YouTube There is a change in who develops the content. It is important that students are engaged in creativity via "content creation". Rich media content development should not be the sole domain of the teacher. iPAD apps and the convergent culture are hel...

According to Dougiamas (1998) as shown by the diagram above, the learning theory we call constructivism is a collection of several learning theories that continue to be developed.  Some of these theories (Critical (Kincheloe, 2008) and Cultural (Hutchison, 2006))  are more connected to the idea of constructivism as a philosophical/epistemological concept.  Moodle is built on the constructivist theory of learning and in general, this aspect of Moodle is ignored. It is easy to overlook the theory and focus on Moodle as an object or a tool. Designing “how to” Moodle courses are easy to manufacture, easy to measure, and easy to assess but they are deficient in the development of a constructivist learning environment. It is important that online courses are not “content dumps” with little application to learning processes other than reading and remember. The following slide “Future of eLearning Moodle Moot 2011” offers some insights to enabling a constructivist learning en...

Time and Distraction reflection Reflection on competing needs Plan to Plan Start the day with a 10-minute planning space Delegate to technology Use technology effectively to cut out duplication and repetition Use a variety of memory-based approaches Hearing, Text, Visual and Tactile Enable Planning Learning Planning processes Remove Procrastination Self reflect on organizational practices Develop a can-do mindset I Can't Get My Work Done: An hour per day of distracted time translates into $10,375 of wasted productivity per person per year, assuming an average salary of $30/hour.  That is more than the average U.S. driver will spend this year to own and maintain a car, according to the Automobile Association of America (AAA).  Toggling between multiple applications/windows/tabs/items on the desktop contributes to the problem of distraction, along with using multiple devices at the same time.  45% of survey respondents keep at least six items open simult...

Participatory Learning There is no question of whether teaching and learning via online environments is a priority. The actual question is related to the implementation of participatory online learning environments. The employment of ICT in society is moving from a technical application that enables interaction with knowledge to a cultural expression of participation. Today's students are immersed within the internet technologies. On large their preferences are to be ‘Connected and Mobile’. Their interfaces are built on ‘personalisation’. Their online participatory environments include social media, media rich creation sites, media flow platforms and game based collaboration. The employment of traditional teaching and learning practices are increasingly becoming less effective at engaging students and motivating achievement. Successful 21st Century educators are those who can learn how to, partake within and create participatory based online learning environments.

Jonus: scene 1 slide 1 Jonus works in an office. He has worked in this office for 20 years. He wants more but he doesn't know how to get more. Jonus feels anxious and threatened. Jonus: scene 1 slide 2 Jonus would dwell on detail. The detail would observe him. For hours Jonus would stare and ponder. Stance could feel the coldness. It worried her. It took her concentration. She new things were visualizing and as they appeared to become real Jonus looked more and more dangerous. Jonus was now disappearing into himself daily. Stance could hear water, feel heat and feel weight. She knew it was anxiety. She had to take action. Jonus: scene 1 slide 3 Into his mind did Jonus leap. His rock was safe. The river flowed strong. The flames were growing. Impending doom. Impending fear. Anxiety glassed his lungs. There was nothing to do but fall. The time is now. It was to happen. Jonus was lost from control. He needed to sleep. As long as the river flowed he could sleep. Sleep...

Flickr Blogger jjfbbennett slide show Being creative is difficult. It requires time, patience and the need to do it. It is important to be creative - not as an artist in the creative industry - but as mind bender to influence and liberate work. As a knowledge worker it is the time spent on creative pursuit that enable innovation in the workplace. Innovation in the workplace requires time, patience and a need to do it. Being creative in the arts sphere is the practice playground for the workplace. It can be eclectic, it can be a doodle, it can out there and or elemental but it provides the canvas for possibility. Thank god for all those internet products that provide a chance to be creative without the hierarchy and the suppression of the arts industry. Art may have served god for many centuries but now creativity can serve the self and the self's need to be an innovative worker.