The Teacher List A nice resource for all teachers, regardless of technological ability. Their slogan is 'mastering the web one site at a time' and each day information about a new website useful for teachers is sent via the email list. This is a cool idea and the sites are archived. By , , .[Refer]

At Young School, Innovative Education Spells Success Something to think about; consider what happens when we merge this approach with online learning: "The program focuses on encouraging children to discover their environment at their own pace, and prompts them to observe, theorize and analyze. Working in groups and project-based learning are also key to the program." By TaNoah Morgan, Sunspot.Net, November 5, 2001.[Refer]

Paying to Take Online Classes The essence of this story is that the Virtual High School (VHS) is now charging schools $6000 per high school course since its federal grant has expired. The importance of this story is that a commercial enterprise is offering online learning that is brokered through the traditional school system. By Karen Hayes, Boston Globe, November 4, 2001.[Refer]

Governments Set New Sites This is a good lesson not only for builders of government websites but for builders of service oriented sites in general, including university websites and online courses. The core of the idea lies in what is called "intentions-based" website design, where sites are designed based on an understanding of what the user's intentions are when they log on to the site. The links and categories are designed according to the answer to the question, "what does the user want to do?" By Heather B. Hayes, FCW.Com, October 29, 2001.[Refer]

You Can't Create a Leader in a Classroom Most of this article looks at business professor Henry Mintzberg's ideas of reform for management education. But the meat of the article - and the part to read if you're in a rush - is contained in a sidebar at the bottom of the web page where Mintzberg's core proposals (proposals I agree with and have argued for) are stated: learning should be combined with experience, your colleagues are also your teachers, take a holistic approach to learning, and be ready to abandon the script. By Jennifer Reingold, Fast Company, November, 2001.[Refer]

IMS: On Course in a Stormy Sea Good update on IMS activities and especially the work of the groups developing specifications: Learning Design, QTI, Accessibility, Digital Repositories, and Simple Sequencing. By Ed Walker, EDUCAUSE, October, 2001.[Refer]

WebQuests: Pathways for Teaching to Learn, Learning to Teach WebQuest is an inquiry-driven, problem-solving simulation that requires that learners draw most of the information they use directly from the Web. This article describes the use of WebQuest to teach a Technology in Education course. This article contains a good description of the learning process employed by this tool. Note, too, the new base URL for the Technology Source - http://ts.mivu.org By Donna G. Wood, The Technology Source, November, 2001.[Refer]

Effective Student Preparation for Online Learning A well-researched and documented account of the c reation of a sudent orientation course to address the problem of high drop-out rates in online learning. Many lonks to elements of the orientation course (thus giving readers a really good model they can follow in their own work). What is interesting is that the study shows that a good orientation must focus on more than just the technology. It should also focus on adult learning processes, self-awareness, and learning style selection. By Maggie McVay Lynch, The Technology Source, November, 2001.[Refer]

Toward More Effective Instructional Uses of Technology: The Shift to Virtual Learning A bit of a historical look at the evolution of online learning cumulating with an account of the three generations of online learning: automation, transition, and data-driven virtual learning. The article proposes that two new models of online learning show promise (and I agree): project-based or problem-based learning, and student-led inquiry or research. By Michelle A. Johnston and Nancy Cooley, The Technology Source, November, 2001.[Refer]

KNOW A FRIEND WHO MIGHT ENJOY THIS NEWSLETTER?

Feel free to forward OLDaily to your colleagues. If you received this issue from a friend and would like a free subscription of your own, you can join our mailing list at http://www.downes.ca/cgi-bin/website/subscribe.cgi

[ About This NewsLetter] [ OLDaily Archives] [ Send me your comments]