What is my opinion on MOOCs? I think they are fascinating and beneficial towards a world that is getting more connected on an everyday basis. What fascinates me is that people no longer have to sit through traditional learning and now have the ability to learn on their own pace. Yes, I understand there are negative sides concerning MOOCs especially from a business standpoint, however can education truly be bought and sold? I would like to bring up the Maker’s Culture because people are learning

As I am writing this the League of Legends World Championships for 2014 is going to take place in 3 hours in the country of South Korea. Hundreds of thousands have flown in to see the final two teams face off one another in this Esport and millions around the world are standing by at their computers waiting for the live stream to take place. Internet gaming has become more than just a game and has provided many with more meaning in their lives. Many have even given up their livelihoods in

Depression is a topic that is not discussed openly for many reasons. There is a fear to discuss your feelings because many do not want to show their weaknesses. However, depression is very serious and has led to many tragedies before as many of us have seen either through the news or social media. So if we recognize that depression does exist then why is it that we never talk about it until it is too late? I believe everyone has gone through some kind of depression one point in their lives and

I've had a few friends and colleagues participate in MOOCs, or Massive Open Online Courses, but I've personally never participated in one. Why not? Probably because I have been enrolled as a student in more traditional academic environments and working full time for the past 6 years or more. MOOCs have  become popular in the recent years, and I could see myself participating in one after my current program is complete. Although some critique MOOCs as being ineffective compared to traditional

I've had a few friends and colleagues participate in MOOCs, or Massive Open Online Courses, but I've personally never participated in one. Why not? Probably because I have been enrolled as a student in more traditional academic environments and working full time for the past 6 years or more. MOOCs have  become popular in the recent years, and I could see myself participating in one after my current program is complete. Although some critique MOOCs as being ineffective compared to traditional

I recently came across survey for millenials that inquired about what they valued in a workplace. Aside from flexible scheduling and work/life balance options, they also said that company culture was also very important for them to consider when choosi...

I recently came across survey for millenials that inquired about what they valued in a workplace. Aside from flexible scheduling and work/life balance options, they also said that company culture was also very important for them to consider when choosi...

I recently came across survey for millenials that inquired about what they valued in a workplace. Aside from flexible scheduling and work/life balance options, they also said that company culture was also very important for them to consider when choosi...

"THE MOOCS ARE A COMIN'!"The frantic call of believers and non-believers alike. Are MOOCs here to stay? Probably. Are they taking over higher education? Doubt it. Are they changing how we look at education? Absolutely.At first glance, the current debat...

FRESH FRUIT (from old trees)A wonderful article by David Lochtie about creativity work with elders found on Linkedin. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20141006135247-185045818-the-fountain-of-age-creativity-work-with-elders (Links to an exte...

FRESH FRUIT My hot topic right now is creative thinking. I found these photos on pinterest. I love the perspectives and how they create atmosphere and feeling that might not appear with a typical view.  It's a wonderful demonstration of th...

  Playing games can result in transformational experiences for many people. Games like World of Warcraft create the opportunity for players to work collaboratively to solve epic challenges, but in the real world humanity often falls short in it's ability to empower people to solve real problems. Why is that? Is it because we don't have the same sense of accomplishment in real life as in WoW where time spent playing results in a 'level up'? Jane McGonigal gave this inspiring TedTalk about how

Playing games can result in transformational experiences for many people. Games like World of Warcraft create the opportunity for players to work collaboratively to solve epic challenges, but in the real world humanity often falls short in it's ability...

Playing games can result in transformational experiences for many people. Games like World of Warcraft create the opportunity for players to work collaboratively to solve epic challenges, but in the real world humanity often falls short in it's ability...

The other course I am taking this semester is about designing instructional materials. I am learning design principles and learning how to create audio and visual materials. Addressing a personal interest, I am searching for information on how to properly design instructional and informative materials for bilingual audiences. Reynolds (2010) recommends when creating bilingual slides, […]

Why Can't Johnny Read Build Medical Devices from Legos?      Education is killing creativity. So say some of the thought leaders in education. As schools' budgets shrink the first classes cut are the "non-essentials"- drama, art, mu...

When creating an online course there are many variables to consider. However, perhaps the first step is deciding on an online learning platform that will best suit your needs.There are many sites out there that take the technical work out of organizing...

Years ago I was visiting a friend whose son was sitting at a computer nearby doing his homework. I could tell that his mom was convinced that doing homework on a computer, whatever she thought that meant, was going to result in her son being smarter, ...

I have taught physics to children of all ages, from 3rd graders to high-school seniors.  Some people find this improbable - of course, whatever is being taught to, say, middle-schoolers in the name of physics must not be real physics.  Why no...

 Oh The Humanity!     Humanizing the virtual classroom poses the single greatest challenge of online course developers and teachers. Course content presents itself beautifully and dynamically through videos and state-of-the-art...

I was looking for a social media site where I could share presentations, and a colleague suggested SlideShare. It's a very nice looking site, and it seems to serve a large community. I haven't explored the site thoroughly, but I have viewed a number ...

Recently I have been using a social media outlet called Reddit,  Reddit amazes me with how much community it builds and how it creates an open forum for people to not only share information but to truly connect with one another on many different levels. Information is shared and concerns are answered by thousands of people within the online community. I am fascinated by how much work individuals put into Reddit as some will spend hours a week upholding topics within subreddits to ensure a

What I found interesting in John Seely Brown’s video is his mention of World of Warcraft and how it was not the game itself that fascinates him but the players and the community that were behind it. John mentioned that people want to become better and in the World of Warcraft community they were able to build and learn from one another based on wanting to get better in the game. I believe what most people neglect about video games is that gaming is a culture and with that comes community.

Education is no longer about teaching students to learn but rather teaching students how to learn and create. Technology has pushed towards a new era of learning known as the maker culture where students create for themselves as a learning process. Thi...

Education is no longer about teaching students to learn but rather teaching students how to learn and create. Technology has pushed towards a new era of learning known as the maker culture where students create for themselves as a learning process. Thi...

Recently I have been using a social media outlet called Reddit, Reddit amazes me with how much community it builds and how it creates an open forum for people to not only share information but to truly connect with one another on many different levels....

What I found interesting in John Seely Brown’s video is his mention of World of Warcraft and how it was not the game itself that fascinates him but the players and the community that were behind it. John mentioned that people want to become better and ...

After a few recommendations from friends and colleagues, I downloaded the Flipboard app to check it out. My initial experience with the app was smooth-the formatting and flow of information is intuitive and and pleasing. After setting up my initial pre...

After a few recommendations from friends and colleagues, I downloaded the Flipboard app to check it out. My initial experience with the app was smooth-the formatting and flow of information is intuitive and and pleasing. After setting up my initial pre...

After a few recommendations from friends and colleagues, I downloaded the Flipboard app to check it out. My initial experience with the app was smooth-the formatting and flow of information is intuitive and and pleasing. After setting up my initial pre...