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PLE’s and web 2.0. networking

This Friday (26/04/2007) I will attend as guest speaker/participant a day event in Greece for the BAZAAR Programme .

The complete event title is: “Social software and web 2: a challenge to the future of schooling”

Participants are asked to give a position paper on this issue.

You can read the content of the paper here:

PLE’s and Social Networking

Overview

What I encounter around is the lack of basics. I mean what is the WWW about. Many see it as a communication tool – where mobile devices serve better this need – and not a knowledge share and revamp tool.

Remote learning and collaboration is something not familiar as a concept for students and educators. They both need training and effort from the Ministry of National Education to see the forest and not only the tree.

I also think that forming students mind and teaching is something that must be conducted by expert educators and highly responsible people with respective education. These need to be educated first.

Major Issues and Drawback’s

• Percentage of student PC owners is very low.
• Percent of PC ownership by schools is also very low or/and includes “out-of-date” technology.
• High costs for Internet Access without the related bandwidth.
• Not enough bandwidth in schools.
• Percentage of educators’ familiarity or in depth knowledge of WWW and related capabilities and concept is also very low.
• Lack of knowledge on what WWW is about (which includes Social Networking concepts) and what are it’s capabilities besides gaming, messaging.

What can be done?

• Well. Educate all the above for start.
• Give low-cost or free Internet Access for all and PC’s to Education Institutions.
• Involve companies and other profit oriented organizations in the concept of learning. All these students are tomorrow’s scientists, executives, co-workers. These organizations will provide the means to expand familiarity with web and social networking concepts. After all donations are deductible!
• Prepare simple and complex projects to involve students of all levels to participate through writing, commenting, sharing, remixing and forwarding different types of content plus to add their perspective in lessons they were taught about.
• Makie learning process an experience, with a project oriented procedure, and not a “sit-and-listen” process. Participation is the key to learn both to act in the offline world and the online one. If students and teachers are comfortable to discuss the lesson instead of just “deliver/receive” it, mentality will change from inside. This is possible a major drawback in the learning process and also responsible for the concept “they=educators” and “us=students/knowledge receivers”. This concept only “transforms” knowledge process as a burden. Of course this is something that must come as a directive from the top authority: the government and Ministry of National Education. So change needs to start from the head.
• Provision of tools for all involved to be able to compare information from different channels and sources. This way all involved are not adrift to misunderstandings and misguidance. This way cooperation with different cultures will be easy and will lead to open-minded people.

Recommendations

I would recommend:

• The Creation of collaborative environments Easy to use and Easy to understand.
• Extensive publicity of all Social Networking concepts (Blogs and Blogging, RSS, Social Networking sites for students only, etc)
• Creation of projects and adopt of motivation techniques to make collaboration a fun experience.
• Training, training, training for all involved.

References

• History of personal learning environments:

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_Learning_Environment

• The Personal Learning Environments Blog:

http://www.cetis.ac.uk/members/ple/

• Flock – The social web browser: http://www.flock.com/
• KnowNet : http://www.knownet.com

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© 2007 Corporate.Channeldoubler.