Pigeons of the 21st century

The pigeon academics of St Marcs Square, unaware of e-ailments, e- business, e-communities, e-pedagogy, e-portfolios, rather they discuss, analyse, critique, compare and contrast, concrete communities and transitory communities. Dr Piper Pigeon (2009) an academic from the University of Aggregate asserts, "those who congregate in these concrete based worlds are the pigeon communities of the future. They are avant guard. They are true 21st century pigeons." Pigeon (2009) writes, "they are looking to the future, they embrace new mediums, they do not idealise the past as those who still live in the air and trees like primitives do. They do not make rock peckings or trace their families feet with droppings on cave walls. They contribute to creating future contemporary communities. They gather concrete, organise concrete, rearrange concrete, and create new and exciting things, all with concrete. They are the generation of the future." The evidence presented by the Dr. suggest this concrete life of these advanced life-forms that is the contemporary pigeon, is one we should all aspire to. Go now, get yourself some concrete, liquid or solid form it doesn't matter. Furthermore, make something with it, make something of yourself.

Retrieved from: www.pigeonsandconcrete.org@stmarcs.aggregate.com

Internet safety-UK guidelines

Schools and social networking:

Fear or education

Cecilie Murray international guidelines for safer use of

social networking services, such as Facebook,

MySpace and Bebo have been launched in the

UK Parliament.

Internet safety

New international guidelines for safer use of

social networking services, such as Facebook,

MySpace and Bebo have been launched in the

UK Parliament.

Tips for other schools include:

• Watch videos on cybersafety, consult online sites

and hold classroom discussions to establish

safe and responsible online behaviours;

• Constantly reinforce the need for safety during

class, for example, use no surnames, no

addresses or phone numbers or other personal

details when online;

• Each student creates their own avatar using

MS Paint or another avatar when creating

websites. This is their personal ‘photographic

ID’ for blogging purposes, voicethreads and

other online sites. (See image below);

• Parents sign permission forms agreeing to the

publishing online of student work and online

photographs, on the condition that no names

are attached. Group photos are used where

possible;

• A checklist enables teachers to ensure these

conditions are adhered to;

• A partnership with parents is essential. At

information evenings with primary years

parents, outline the pedagogy for the use of

blogs and other Web 2.0 tools and highlight

cybersafety issues;

• A ‘techno corner’ article appears weekly in

the school and community newsletter;

• Parents are encouraged to ‘adopt’ a student

who may not have the internet at home;

• Staff and Principal add comments to student

blogs, so students are aware that they are

constantly being monitored;

• Teachers have joint administration rights with

students on their blogs, so comments, posts

and incoming links are moderated;

• An RSS reader on teacher Google readers

alerts teachers to new posts from students.

Title: Schools and social networking : fear or education.

Personal Author: Murray C

Author Affiliation: Delphian eLearning

Source: Synergy; v.6 n.1 p.8-12; 2008

Journal Title: Synergy

Facebook and stereotyoes

Walther and colleagues (2008) investigated how college students tended to make

judgements about a Facebook profile based on information that ‘friends’ posted on

their sites about that person. What this study found was:

(i) It is good to have good looking friends in Facebook as you gain no

advantage from looking better than your friends;

(ii) Complimentary or prosocial statements by friends about profile owners

improved the profile owner’s social attractiveness and credibility;

(iii) Facebook has the potential to reinforce stereotypes and behaviours that

could be harmful to young people (for example, if a target person is female

and pictures of her drunk are posted on other people’s facebooks then she

was denigrated whereas an attractive male in similar shots received

admiration and respect).

While Walther et al’s study confirms the double standards that persist in society, an

outcome of their research that is interesting in terms of self-representation and self-

exposure is that ‘friends’ statements significantly altered perceptions of profile owners’

(p. 44). One can alter his/her own details on their own profile or delete unwanted

photographs; however, it is difficult to modify or manipulate statements made by others

(for example, their pictures and wall postings). Walther’s research raises a significant

question that warrants further research into textual authority of social networks,

particularly, they ask: ‘Are we known by the company we keep?’ (p. 29).

Retrieved from: Digital Culture & Education (DCE)

Publication details, including instructions for authors

http://www.digitalcultureandeducation.com/

Look at me! Look at me! Self-

representation and self-exposure through

online networks

Kerry Mallan

School of Cultural and Language Studies in Education

Queensland University of Technology

Online Publication Date: 15 May 2009

Education futures

The role of ICT in contemporary society and its relationship to schooling

Nailing digital jelly to a virtual tree

How cool is the title of this article. Who says you don't read a book by its cover?

Their claim: Technologies are shape shifters on a virtual tri-branched tree of organisational capacity(human resources and professional development), process management (all tools) and operational capacity(the stuff that makes it work). This article is recruiting> Horizon Project 2007 wiki: http://horizonproject. I think the title was much more interesting than the article. Sorry folks.

Title: Nailing digital jelly to a virtual tree : tracking emerging technologies for learning.

Personal Author: Serim F; Schrock K Author Affiliation: International Society for Technology in Education ; National Network of Digital Schools (US) ; Nauset Public Schools (US) Source: Quick; n.107 p.7-9; Winter 2008 Journal Title: Quick

Transcending borders

Because of Web 2.0 this generation develop social communities that are unique. They include more friendships that extend beyond local borders. What was foreign is not so anymore, this is not due solely to easily accessible transport with wings but due to the ubiquity of internet or virtual travel. In Thomas Friedmans book, The world is flat, it is written, 'the world has moved into a third great era of globalisation, people transcending borders, interacting and appreciating other countries, becoming global citizens.' (cited in Welch, 2009) This article, Transcending borders, is focused on ways in which we can use web 2.0 technologies to create global citizens with knowledge of Asia pacific regions, not just western or British.

Retrieved from: Welch, Maureen. Transcending borders. [online]. Education Horizons; v.10 n.4 p.5-6; 2009. Availability: ISSN: 1440-723X. [cited 06 Apr 10].

more for national curriculum

In discussing the National curriculum, Alan Reid argues that we 'must move beyond limiting curriculum development to a demarcation dispute based on geographical boundaries draw up in the 19th century...(to meeting) the challenges of the 21st century...The complexity and ambiguity of the social, political and economic shifts that are shaping our world suggest that such an impoverished rationale and associated strategies are no longer adequate.' What Reid is saying is that what we ought to be doing is more, and bigger. Total restructure! No. Decide what skills are of national significance for citizenship and allow the vehicle for which this information is delivered up to each state and territory.

Retrieved http://www.eqa.edu.au/site/curriculumcapabilities.html, 2007 Curriculum for the 21st century Curriculum, capabilities and nation building Alan Reid argues that a national approach to curriculum is a good idea, provided that it goes beyond the current approach of identifying a limited number of subjects and making these common across the country.

St Leonards College-Not an optional extra

Experiences that do not add to the ability to live sustainably are considered to be irrelevant to the 21st century student. Clearly, in an already crowded curriculum, this provides staff with valid criteria for inclusion and exclusion.

The ability to question and inquire is fundamental to the development of a sustainable way of life. Young people need to see the bigger picture and make connections in learning across disciplines. They need to think critically and creatively in order to face challenges in their future. We need a learning society. ‘Education for sustainable development’ and ‘environmental education’ should be replaced by the term, ‘sustainable education’. This implies the right and responsibility to use methodologies that support the real future learning options of our students.

Author: Kerry Bolger and Marcia Behrenbruch. (2005) Retrieved from:http://www.eqa.edu.au/site/notanoptionalextra.html

Education in the 21st Century

Shaw states, 'Critical attributes of 21st century education include Integrated and Interdisciplinary, Technologies & Multimedia; Global Classroom; Project-Based & Research; Student Centered. 21st Century Skills include: Driven; Relevant, Rigorous & Real -World; Constant Change; Lifelong Learning.' These are themes that crop up again and again. What is discussed in this article is the acknowledgment that classrooms are not delivering or if they are, they are still not delivering enough.

'Our students are facing many emerging issues such as global warming, famine, poverty, heath issues, a global population explosion and other environmental and social issues.' says Shaw. Thinking about this article it seems to me that Web 2.0 applications can be used to study new social communities, through this kind of research, we can more accurately target the kinds of curriculums we should be including, and to go beyond gaming and entertainment. However, 'We must realize, and our students must understand, that we cannot move toward a vision of the future until we understand the socio-historical context of where we are now. Where are we? What events led us to be where we are? How can this inform our development of a vision for the future and how we want to get there?' says Shaw.

Retrieved from: Shaw A. Education in the 21st century. [online]. Ethos; v.17 n.1 p.11-17; Term 1 2009. Availability: ISSN: 1448-1324. [cited 06 Apr 10]

digital citizenship education

Joseph O'Brien writes, 'We need a clear citizens' vision of the way the Net ought to grow, a firm idea of the kind of media environment we would like to see in the future.' O'Brien talks of the need to create a sociological language, rules etc for on-line environments, otherwise how do we prepare young people to be suitably socialised for a society that will for a large part be experienced on-line. On-line communities are social entities. O'Brien questions how schooling is preparing the young for a future that includes on-line societies. 'Legal theorists, for example, are engaged in a vigorous discussion about how to define the Internet and participation in an online environment, while we in social studies have not even stopped to consider, from a holistic sense, the possibility that an online environment is significantly different from an offline one.' O'Brien suggests using a program like Second Life, that is like a 'laboratory of democracy' using avatars to critically evaluate on-line societies. 'Given the civic mission of schools, in general, and the importance of citizenship education to social studies, in particular, we may accept the premise that the Internet is a distinct place. If so, then our society is obliged to dedicate Internet space to serve the public interest to prepare the next generation for citizenship in an online environment.' (O'Brien,2008, p.143).

O'Brien, J. (2008). Are we preparing young people for 21st -century citizenship with 20th- century thinking? A case for a virtual laboratory of democracy. Contemporary Issues in Technology and Teacher Education [Online serial], 8(2), 125-157.

Retrieved from: http://ezproxy.canberra.edu.au/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ehh&AN=34130504&site=ehost-live

New topic: The role of ICT in contemporary society and schooling

Schools online

Online network use in schools Social and educational opportunities Notley, Tanya Source: Youth Studies Australia; Sep2008, Vol. 27 Issue 3, p20-29, 10p Notley argues for decreased sensoring in schools. Social relationships that form between students in online social forums are improving communication in real world social envirironments, and an important access point for all kinds of facilities. The quote's below is taken from this article. 'The key reason why online networks can enhance social capital is because the increasing ubiquity of the internet and related ICTs impacts on the way social relationships and social networks are created, mediated and maintained. If a majority of people communicate and connect online, this in turn impacts on the way they accumulate social capital (Notley & Foth 2008). In this way ICTs can and do have an impact on bonding, bridging and linking forms of social capital (Huysman & Wulf 2004).' 'Other researchers have also emphasised the learning benefits that online network use can provide through the development of skills in peer-to-peer knowledge sharing, collabo- ration and critical evaluation (Gee 2003; Ito 2006; Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) 2007; Sefton-Green 2005). Case study research has suggested that the flexible, personalised, experiential and informal learning opportunities that online network platforms provide can better suit young people who have struggled with the industrial one-size-fits-all style of teaching that still characterises the mainstream school systems in most developed nations (Green et al. 2007). However, rather than suggesting that online networks offer learning tools that are superior to traditional school-based learning, some researchers argue that online networks can and should be used to support an education system that conforms to the learner, rather than the learner to the system.'