My Personal Learning Network #2

I went to college as an undergraduate in the 1970s. I went to class and the library on campus. I typed my papers on a typewriter. Now, in college as a graduate student, I do none of the above. I have not visited campus, or the library, and I have never even printed a copy of anything I have produced. I have met some of my professors and a few of my fellow students, but only because I went to a couple of social events. Yet I feel like I have a more personal relationship with all of my professors and classmates than I ever did as an undergraduate. This is because I am an online learner. Mostly I learn when and where I want. Sometimes I take my laptop with me on an airplane and keep up with my assignments while visiting with my grandchildren. Other times I am working from home in my pajamas.

For PLN #2, I will focus on online learning. The California K12 High Speed Network feed gives me an article about online learning from eSchool News: http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=59508 which refers to a report titled "Learning in the 21st Century: 2009 Trends Update," released June 30 at the 2009 National Educational Computing Conference and jointly sponsored by Project Tomorrow and Blackboard Inc.

According to the report, students want more online learning, and the supply has outpaced the demand. This research study found that “…more than 40 percent of sixth through 12th graders have researched or demonstrated interest in taking a course online, but only 10 percent have actually taken an online course through their school.” Lack of funding and teacher preparation were given by school administrators as key barriers to offering expanded access to online courses in their districts.

I decided to check out what else was available through Google Reader regarding online learning. Finally I came across an interesting blog called Dangerously Irrelevant. I decided to add it to my subscriptions. I thought the author’s name looked familiar: Scott McLeod. Associate Professor, Iowa State University, Director of the UCEA Center for the Advanced Study of Technology Leadership in Education. None of that rang a bell, but then I saw that he was a co-creator of the “wildly popular video,” Did You Know? (Shift Happens). Now that I remember: as technology coordinator at my school site, I wanted to show that video to the staff, but I was told it was too long. Here it is:

My search led me to a March 2009 post about online learning. http://www.dangerouslyirrelevant.org/2009/03/iowa-a-robust-system-of-online-learning.html Scott McLeod points out, “When most people think about online learning, they think about adults taking online university classes. Or they might think about the online training that occurs in many workplaces. But online learning opportunities occur in the K-12 sector as well and are increasingly popular with students and their families.” He cites some research and talks about efforts underway in different states to facilitate online learning. California is not mentioned. Somehow I am not surprised.