I am so technologically advanced that it hurts when I smile.

There’s this awesome site called yougrowgirl that started my gardening obsession. This year instead of buying plants, I decided to plant seeds.

I was thinking about my black thumb and what a moron I was for taking over my laundry room with large amounts of dirt when the little guys started showing up.   I just planted some seeds and within less than two weeks, I actually have plants. And I have not killed them yet.

I wish everything in life had a visible reward within a week and a half.  Shouldn’t that be a rule somewhere?

Been working on the show intro for an incredibly fabulous new reality show called Normal Freaks. Check out a sneak peek of my first ten seconds…

Ok. so Microsoft Office is now officially passe. Google now has google docs, spreadsheets and now, basically a Powerpoint tool that runs directly off the web called Presently. I love it. It is cool.

Anybody watching “On the Lot”? The ratings are bad, crickets kind of bad. A good concept…Tons of submissions…Mark Burnett…and yet it is a big bomb. Why? Film isn’t about the movies. People go to movies to watch Hollywood royalty - to watch magic. Student films aren’t magic. The only way to get us interested in this subject would be to reveal the magic. That’s why TV viewers watch reality TV. Because they can say, “hey I could totally do that.” Your average Joe cannot make these movies. And no one, I REPEAT, NO ONE wants to watch student films for an hour and a woman trying to drag the time out to make it seem interesting. How do they edit? How do they get an actor to a golden moment? How does the magic happen? We get nothing. So they get no ratings-a TIME SUCK.

Alan Kay spoke about why technology based teaching fails back in 1987, as the personal computer revolution began. He explained that pedagogy should be considered before the technology. In other words, what we teach is more important that how we teach it. While technology can amplify the overall learning experience, what you actually learn is most important. As teachers, it’s our bottom line.
That being said…

Technology is essential to the learning environment and we are doing it all wrong.

Blackboard billed itself as the panacea to boring University lectures for the new “Net” generation. Yet, according to a study by the Research Initiative for Teaching Effectiveness at the University of Central Florida, older students are far more likely to be satisfied by online courses than Net Generation students. Online courses are just rubber stamp copies of off-line courses that don’t capitalize on the interactivity and immediacy of the Web.

I rebel against Blackboard. I normally create my own technology-based learning environments specific to what each class needs, sans the boring click-through presentations. I was sure that my approach was the best approach for what each class needed.

But I was still missing something.

I was born before 1984, and therefore my socio-cultural outlook is different than my students. I’ve discovered that for my students:

1) Learning is Social
Net Generation students crave interactivity with their peers and professors, even if they don’t meet in a physical class. Group work is very important to Net Generation students, even in online classes.

2) Learning is Immediate
Net Generation students expect quick responses from professors, something many professors don’t always have the time or interest to give. Net Generation students live in a communication environment where friends and peers are constantly “logged on” and reachable by either phone, e-mail or instant messaging.

3) Learning is Contextual
Used to automatic news updates, RSS feeds, SMS/ instant messaging, and even Facebook groups, Net generation students gather and respond to information unique to their personal data.

4) Learning is Visual and Auditory
No, this does not mean you need to learn Powerpoint. With cameras on their phones and earbuds pumping constant ipod music, it’s no wonder that the silence of the lecture hall lulls students into a deep and peaceful slumber.

5) Learning Still Takes Time
Work, friends, starbucks…with so much vying for their attention, the Net generation has a hard time with time management. In an article in the Chronicle for Higher Education, American University linguistics professor Naomi Baron says that Net Generation students writing and thought process lacks depth, since no time is set aside for proper reflection. There’s something to be said, argues professor Baron, for the ability to sit still and think.
I’d love to hear how you deal with the problems and solutions of the learning environment for the “Net generation.” Post your comments!

While I don’t believe the hype that a new technology magically makes students learn and retain information, I do think that mobile learning expands the boundaries of the classroom. While learning was once only completed in a formal setting, m-learning expands the classroom to the informal setting to a student’s entire environment.
What actions does m-learning offer the student and the professor?

Record (a learner can create or record information with their mobile device, such as taking a photo, video, audio recording or electronic notes).
Recall (a learner can look up previously stored data, or connect with another information source such as the Internet, to find some information).
Relate (a learner can use a mobile device to communicate with their peers, teacher, or others in a group).
Reinterpret (a learner can use their device to process data).

How is the technology different from other technology?

Portability: the small size and weight of mobile devices means they can be taken to different sites or moved around within a site. They can store an enormous amount of information and functionality in a very compact form.
Social interactivity: data exchange and collaboration with other learners can happen synchronously or asynchronously, textually, vocally or even through video.
Context sensitivity: mobile devices can both gather and respond to real or simulated data unique to the current location, environment and time.
Individuality:“ scaffolding for difficult activities can be customised for individual learners.

How could I use m-learning?