Rethinking Teaching & Learning
in a Networked Reality

Dr. Alec Couros
ECS 100
Who is this guy?
My Blog, My Hub
Photo Sharing
Video Sharing
Social Network Services
Content Sharing
Copyleft
“Web 2.0 tools that might allow academics to reflect
  and reimagine what they do as scholars. Such tools
  might positively affect -- even transform - research,
teaching, and services responsibilities - only if scholars
    choose to build serious academic lives online,
presenting semi-public selves and becoming invested in
    and connected to the work of their peers and
   students.” (Greenhow, Robella, & Hughes, 2009)
social networks & media
Social Networks
•   redefine communities,
    friends, citizenship,
    identity, presence, privacy,
    publics, geography.
•   enable learning,
    communication, sharing,
    connections, collaboration,
    community.
•   networks form around
    shared interests & objects.
A Connected Reality
Old World Networks
Mario Couros
Mediated Reality
Twitter in 60 Seconds
Each technology
    creates a new
    environment.

 The old environment
 becomes content for
the new environment.

 The effects of media
come from their form
  not their content.
The Way We Were
David Wiley
               (Brigham Young University)


                                  Then      vs     Now

                                  Analog           Digital

                                 Tethered         Mobile

                                 Isolated        Connected

                                 Generic          Personal

                              Consumption         Creating
@opencontent
                                  Closed           Open
David Wiley
               (Brigham Young University)


                              Education vs Everyday

                                  Analog      Digital

                                 Tethered    Mobile

                                 Isolated   Connected

                                 Generic     Personal

                              Consumption    Creating
@opencontent
                                  Closed      Open
Rise of the PLN
trust
easy trust
humankind is mostly good
View on Society?
“Some of the comments on
           Youtube make you weep for the
            future of humanity, just for the
             spelling alone, never mind the
             obscenity and naked hatred.”
@leverus
                     (Lev Grossman)
The Web as Random Acts of Kindness
                  (TED Talk)



      @zittrain
                       •   Technical infrastructure of
                           the web.

                       •   Wikipedia’s content & form

                       •   ‘Hitchhiking’ exists through
                           Internet-facilitated kindness,
                           collaboration, & sharing.
The Machine is (Changing) Us
          (Personal Democracy Forum)



                 • Inspired by McLuhan’s “We shape
                 our tools and thereafter our tools
                 shape us.”

                 • Youtube & other social media
                 mitigate “connection without
                 constraint”. In many cases this
                 leaves to “tremendously deep
                 communities”.
@mwesch
Heroes for our Mediated Culture
“The invention of the alphabet and the resulting
intensification of the visual sense in the communication
 process gave sight priority over hearing, but the effect
  was so powerful that it went beyond communication
     through language to reshape literate society’s
  conception and use of space.” (Gordon re: Mcluhan)
educators and trust
via @mcleod
via @shareski
i can haz internetz
@smartinez
learners and trust
Living & Learning with Social Media
                           (Penn State address)



Teens are not connecting in the
ways we fear. But, we need to
pay attention to:

•Properties: persistence,
replicability, searchability,
scalability, (de)locatability.

•Dynamics: invisible audiences,
                                           @zephoria
collapsed contexts, blurring of
public & private spaces
“Kyle Doyle is not going
                                   to work today, f*** it,
                                      I’m still trashed
                                       SICKIE WOO.”



 “Cisco just offered me a job!
Now I have to weigh the utility
of a fatty paycheck against the
daily commute to San Jose and
        hating the work.”
Bassman_Sean
                (Scotland)



                             • Scottish teen who
                             participates in my open,
                             online grad course.

                             • Creative, motivated,
                             independent, connected,
                             respectful, cognizant and
                             intentional in managing
                             his digital identity.
@bassman_sean
in practice
Grade One - Expert Visits




                            @kathycassidy
Grade Five - Choir on Youtube
Grade Six - Global Connections




                             @zbpipe
Grade Seven/Eight - Class Branding




                              @glassbeed
Beaver Country Day School - mashUp
EC&I 831 -Non-Credit
pay attention to ...
Access
Ubiquity
Real Time Web
RT Search
RT Collaboration
RT Streaming
Social Reading
Trusted Groups
New Roles for Educators
Professional Identities
Professional Development Gone Wild!
Thinning Walls




Private          Public

Closed            Open
The Big Ideas
    • The future of learning is open,
    connected, & social.

    • Learning networks redefine
    how knowledge is created,
    distributed & controlled.

    • Meaningful learning can be
    fostered through informal
    learning networks.
Don’t limit a child to your
own learning, for he was born
  in another time. ~Tagore




      web: couros.ca
     twitter: courosa
      google: couros
 alec.couros@uregina.ca

ECS100 Presentation

  • 1.
    Rethinking Teaching &Learning in a Networked Reality Dr. Alec Couros ECS 100
  • 2.
  • 6.
  • 7.
  • 8.
  • 9.
  • 10.
  • 11.
  • 12.
    “Web 2.0 toolsthat might allow academics to reflect and reimagine what they do as scholars. Such tools might positively affect -- even transform - research, teaching, and services responsibilities - only if scholars choose to build serious academic lives online, presenting semi-public selves and becoming invested in and connected to the work of their peers and students.” (Greenhow, Robella, & Hughes, 2009)
  • 13.
  • 14.
    Social Networks • redefine communities, friends, citizenship, identity, presence, privacy, publics, geography. • enable learning, communication, sharing, connections, collaboration, community. • networks form around shared interests & objects.
  • 15.
  • 16.
  • 17.
  • 18.
  • 20.
  • 21.
    Each technology creates a new environment. The old environment becomes content for the new environment. The effects of media come from their form not their content.
  • 22.
  • 23.
    David Wiley (Brigham Young University) Then vs Now Analog Digital Tethered Mobile Isolated Connected Generic Personal Consumption Creating @opencontent Closed Open
  • 24.
    David Wiley (Brigham Young University) Education vs Everyday Analog Digital Tethered Mobile Isolated Connected Generic Personal Consumption Creating @opencontent Closed Open
  • 25.
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  • 27.
  • 28.
  • 29.
  • 32.
    “Some of thecomments on Youtube make you weep for the future of humanity, just for the spelling alone, never mind the obscenity and naked hatred.” @leverus (Lev Grossman)
  • 34.
    The Web asRandom Acts of Kindness (TED Talk) @zittrain • Technical infrastructure of the web. • Wikipedia’s content & form • ‘Hitchhiking’ exists through Internet-facilitated kindness, collaboration, & sharing.
  • 36.
    The Machine is(Changing) Us (Personal Democracy Forum) • Inspired by McLuhan’s “We shape our tools and thereafter our tools shape us.” • Youtube & other social media mitigate “connection without constraint”. In many cases this leaves to “tremendously deep communities”. @mwesch
  • 37.
    Heroes for ourMediated Culture
  • 38.
    “The invention ofthe alphabet and the resulting intensification of the visual sense in the communication process gave sight priority over hearing, but the effect was so powerful that it went beyond communication through language to reshape literate society’s conception and use of space.” (Gordon re: Mcluhan)
  • 39.
  • 40.
  • 41.
  • 44.
    i can hazinternetz
  • 45.
  • 46.
  • 47.
    Living & Learningwith Social Media (Penn State address) Teens are not connecting in the ways we fear. But, we need to pay attention to: •Properties: persistence, replicability, searchability, scalability, (de)locatability. •Dynamics: invisible audiences, @zephoria collapsed contexts, blurring of public & private spaces
  • 48.
    “Kyle Doyle isnot going to work today, f*** it, I’m still trashed SICKIE WOO.” “Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.”
  • 50.
    Bassman_Sean (Scotland) • Scottish teen who participates in my open, online grad course. • Creative, motivated, independent, connected, respectful, cognizant and intentional in managing his digital identity. @bassman_sean
  • 51.
  • 52.
    Grade One -Expert Visits @kathycassidy
  • 53.
    Grade Five -Choir on Youtube
  • 54.
    Grade Six -Global Connections @zbpipe
  • 55.
    Grade Seven/Eight -Class Branding @glassbeed
  • 56.
    Beaver Country DaySchool - mashUp
  • 57.
  • 59.
  • 60.
  • 61.
  • 62.
  • 63.
  • 64.
  • 65.
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  • 67.
  • 68.
    New Roles forEducators
  • 69.
  • 70.
  • 71.
    Thinning Walls Private Public Closed Open
  • 73.
    The Big Ideas • The future of learning is open, connected, & social. • Learning networks redefine how knowledge is created, distributed & controlled. • Meaningful learning can be fostered through informal learning networks.
  • 74.
    Don’t limit achild to your own learning, for he was born in another time. ~Tagore web: couros.ca twitter: courosa google: couros alec.couros@uregina.ca