XplanaZine

Updates on: online classes, information and communication technology, networked learning, Internet safety, effective online education, and EDUInsight

With the spread of broadband technology and improved online teaching tools, students and teachers are finding online classes to be a more fluid and rewarding experience. The use of Skype, an Internet-based phone service, for example has enhanced the teaching of foreign languages online. Tom Regan reflects on his online teaching experience and compares the experience of online students from five years ago to that of today, referencing relevant research. — Christian Science Monitor

Use of ICT (information and communication technology) for literacy is almost intuitive, given the challenge of reaching out to large numbers which a country like India faces. ICT provides us an effective tool for connecting with a large number of remotely located learners at a low cost. ICT is not about the computers or the educational CDs or the Internet or the specific device or medium we use. It is really about a different process that we deploy for the purpose of enhancing the quality of education. — The Economic Times

What is networked learning? Learning and teaching in the classroom is becoming increasingly easier due to the influx of many new technologies and a myriad of software. Now Web 2.0 is about constructing knowledge collaboratively on the web. Web 2.0 applications (Facebook, MySpace, Blogs, Wiki’s, iGoogle, Flickr, RSS Feeds and YouTube. Etc) are effective pedagogical tools. — Melanie1987

Internet safety. New Jersey on Wednesday began a campaign to enlist educators to address a growing concern — the exploitation of children over the Internet. The goal is to train 1,000 educators, who in turn will train other teachers and students within their districts. About 210 educators attended Wednesday’s session and 40 attended a pilot session in August. The training covers cyberbullying, the dangers of social networking sites and chat rooms and behaviors used by sexual predators. — Newsday

Effective online education goes beyond finding answers. It requires you to process numerous information sources, evaluate them based on credibility and relevance, and piece together a mosaic-like picture of the truth. If you try to educate yourself online without a clear strategy, you’ll quickly find yourself frustrated and misinformed. This article explores useful online education strategies. — Pick the Brain Blog

In the three weeks since its inception, EDUInsight.com is gaining clout as the premier online meeting place where academic administrators can come together to understand and debate the issues of the day, analyze and review the latest trends, exchange ideas, and evolve common sense approaches to student recruiting, student retention, and online education. — eMediaWire