“Public television and TED, the non-profit organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading, share a deep commitment to addressing the high school dropout crisis. The TED Talks Educationone-hour programbrings together a diverse group of teachers and education advocates delivering short, high-impact talks on the theme of teaching and learning. These original TED Talks are given by thought leaders including Geoffrey Canada, Bill Gates, Rita F. Pierson and Sir Ken Robinson. TED Talks Education is part of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s American Graduate initiative. See all speakers and performers.”
To learn more about the program and the upcoming speakers, visit TED or PBS.
“This course is a citizen’s guide to the Second Amendment. Recent tragedies have put gun control in the headlines, and the lines of political argument are sharply drawn. But what about the Constitutional dimension? The Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution fundamentally shapes American gun control policy. In this course, a number of experts in history, constitutional law, and political science explore the Second Amendment from various angles. The viewers will learn about its history and purpose, about the ways that the Constitution is interpreted by different Supreme Court justices, and about the recent cases that define the current landscape of Second Amendment law. The aim is to provide the background knowledge necessary for informed citizenship on this issue.”
You can sign up for the iTunes U course and content here.
Day 2 Concurrent Session with Douglas Kiang – The Curated Classroom: Finding and Sharing Great Online Content with iTunes U
I am a big fan of iTunes U, so I was thrilled to learn about Douglas Kiang’s presentation on creating and curating content using iTunes U in your classroom. He started out by telling us that teachers are storytellers, curators, and publishers.
Storytelling
Being creative, a designer, is what is key in this new world. Storytellers, or concept bearers, are the purveyors of information in not only the modern world, but also throughout history. The problem, however, with the written word is that our stories become “static.” We cannot change them as we evolve. The internet age has changed that drastically. Our stories are becoming dynamic; they have the ability to change. At the same time, we have an expansive audience. Bill Rankin, Ph.D. rather provocatively addressed the issue of the death of the written word:
Douglas returns to the topic of curation, as it is the core focus of this discussion. A curator is not a master artist or scientist. A curator is someone that shares knowledge and groups information in a way that can best convey knowledge. A key element of curation within education is personalization. We can create individual exhibits for our audience (students). We know our students well enough to create the best play list of material that will work for them, and ideally, we will ultimately provide them with the skills they need to curate for themselves.
iTunes U itself is simply a collection of multimedia artifacts (video, audio, and/or PDFs), and everything within iTunes U is FREE. Some of the top academic institutions (Harvard, MIT, Stanford, etc.) are avid contributors. Douglas demonstrates different ways that you can use already existing content in your courses simply by using the links in your course assignments or assigning students to find content.
iTunes U
Apple has recently released the iTunes U App, so individuals are able to browse and download content via the iTunes Application. However, to get the full experience and content of iTunes U, you must download the iOS App. If you create an iTunes U course, you can then add PDFs, links, audio, video, textbooks from the iBooks Store, and other content from within iTunes U. Douglas does recommend, however, that when building a course, be cognizant of what does and does not require a wireless connection.
What can/should you do within the iTunes U course?
Duplicate your course (you cannot edit once its published)
Send in-session announcements (only works on an iOS device)
Preview your course on an iOS device while you are building it
What is not supported within the iTunes U course:
Track individual students’ progress
Give synchronous quizzes
Have students turn material in
Create a discussion forum
Have more than one (official) course author
Douglas notes that while iTunes U may have limitations, it is the easiest and most simple platform for producing and disseminating high quality content. If you would like to see a sample of K-12 course content created and published on iTunes U, see the list that he has on his content site. He strongly recommends taking a look at what other people have completed before going forward and drafting your own iTunes U course.
Douglas then walks us through Course Manager (Apple Guide). He points out that while he loves iTunes U, he does not use it on a day-to-day basis. He feels that education requires true face-to-face interaction. Right now, this is effective for small chunks of information or conducting workshops.
You can view Doug’s presentation materials – as well as those from other presenters – on the iPad Summit web site.
I don’t listen to a lot of live radio anymore. Instead, I tend to listen to a lot of podcasts. I can find content specific to my area and take it with me on the go. Here is a great list of podcasts for Educators (all for free and in no particular order):
Edutopia Webinars - Edutopia presents engaging webinars hosted exclusively for our audience of educators, parents, and administrators throughout the year. These interactive events are free and universally accessible thanks to support from foundations, advertisers, and donors. Each webinar is designed to connect our valued audience with thought leaders in the movement for educational reform, providing opportunities to learn about the latest research, tools, and ideas from experts in the field. Note: Most Edutopia Webinars are large files, approximately an hour long.
Education & Teaching from Yale - Yale Professors and special guests speak on teaching, education and the important role education plays in our lives.
Great Teachers by Harvard University - Harvard’s Great Teachers invites you to discover our faculty sharing their ideas, very much as they do every day with undergraduates at Harvard College.
Center for Teaching and Learning at Stanford University - The Stanford Center for Teaching and Learning supports the effective communication of knowledge and the love of learning by faculty inside and outside the classroom, by graduate students in their roles as apprentice scholar/teachers, and by undergraduates as they take their place in the community of scholars.
Google Tools - Google is much more than a search engine. It is a suite of free software and services that can enhance learning, engage students, and make the work of teachers easier. This series of podcasts demonstrates the usefulness and applications for some of Google’s most innovative products including custom search engines, Google earth, iGoogle, Google Calendar and Google Docs. Each podcast will consist of a screencast demonstrating the product in action and suggesting applications for use in the classroom.
Department of Education Public Seminars at Oxford University - Public seminars from the Department of Education. Oxford has been making a major contribution to the field of education for over 100 years and today this Department has a world class reputation for research, for teacher education and for its Masters and doctoral programmes. Our aim is to provide an intellectually rich but supportive environment in which to study, to research and to teach and, through our work, to contribute to the improvement of all phases of public education, both in the UK and internationally.
Technology Integration by Edutopia - Integrating technology into classroom instruction means more than teaching basic computer skills and software programs in a separate computer class. Effective tech integration must happen across the curriculum in ways that research shows deepen and enhance the learning process. In particular, it must support four key components of learning: active engagement, participation in groups, frequent interaction and feedback, and connection to real-world experts. Effective technology integration is achieved when the use of technology is routine and transparent and when technology supports curricular goals.
Harvard EdCast - The Harvard EdCast is a weekly series that features a 15-20 minute conversation with thought leaders in the field of education from across the country and around the world. Hosted by Matt Weber, the Harvard EdCast will serve as a space for educational discourse and openness, focusing on the myriad issues and current events related to the field.
NPR Education - From NPR: perspectives on great teachers, the science of learning, classroom dynamics and more. The best of Morning Edition, All Things Considered and other award-winning NPR programs.
I have a 45-minute commute to Knapp Elementary School each morning. Aside from sipping on my coffee, I’ll tune into Philly sports radio, some Mumford & Sons or maybe even some local news. However, in December, my commute took a more reflective turn when I discovered an edu-podcast called #EdChat Radio that is now helping me think deeper in a quiet space away from the presence of students, teachers, parents and community members. As an educator and learner, making time to reflect on where your learning community is hitting or…
For 13 days in October 1862, the world watched and waited as two super-powers, the United States and the Soviet Union, held a nuclear stand-off over missiles positioned just 90 miles off of the coast of Florida. President Kennedy and Premier Khrushchev engaged in high-stakes negotiation over nuclear arms during what would be termed the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Harvard University via iTunes U is offering an extensive course on the Cuban Missile Crisis, entitled: Cuban Missile Crisis: 50 Years Later. The course is described as follows:
The material presented offers a multi-media narrative of the related events leading up to, during, and after the Cuban Missile Crisis. With the 50th Anniversary of the Crisis approaching, this framework is designed for viewers to assess the lessons learned from the most dangerous moment in human history, when the United States and Soviet Union came to the precipice of nuclear war.
This module incorporates original historical documents, photos, videos, and audio clips — some of which have only recently been declassified. The material, and much more, is available on www.cubanmissilecrisis.org, a website created by the Harvard Kennedy School’s Beifer Center for Science and International Affairs to commemorate the anniversary.
Stanford’s robust iTunes U offerings has become even more topical and current with the addition of its Election 2012 course. What makes this particular course unique and innovative is that it includes an online discussion element via its Course Piazza. The course description is as follows:
About Election 2012
This course will focus on the fall election in November 2012. Videos will be posted once per week, with serial examinations of major topics at stake in the election: foreign policy, the economy, the Supreme Court, and campaign strategy. We will also devote one session to California. Distinguished guests will participate in sessions moderated by the instructors, with participation by students.
Instructors:
David Kennedy, Dept. of History
Rob Reich, Dept. of Political Science
Jim Steyer, Commonsense Media
Please note that the post-mortem discussion on the election will be posted on Monday, November 12th.
Code of Conduct
The discussion forum is NOT intended for explicit electioneering or campaigning. You may not use this discussion board, for example, to solicit volunteers for campaign activities, to organize other students to work on behalf of any particular candidate, to ask students to sign petitions, etc.
To participate in Election 2012, you must register to create your Piazza account.
To download the lectures and content of the course, click here.
I have espoused the value of iTunes U many times. The open-source education repository publishes and distributes (at no cost to consumers) rigorous courses in science, the humanities, computers, and more (see my article – “15 Opportunities for Free Online Education“).
Course Description: Philosophy and the Science of Human Nature pairs central texts from Western philosophical tradition (including works by Plato, Aristotle, Epictetus, Hobbes, Kant, Mill, Rawls, and Nozick) with recent findings in cognitive science and related fields. The course is structured around three intertwined sets of topics: Happiness and Flourishing; Morality and Justice; and Political Legitimacy and Social Structures.”
To experience this free course, simply click this link.
I have posted many times about what a huge proponent I am of iTunes U as a resource for educators, students, and lay individuals with a passing interest in various subjects (history classes, philosophy, learning a foreign language, exploring world politics, etc). I recently posted an article focusing on how individuals who already have college and graduate degrees can use online resources to bolster or even change their careers: “Using Free Educational Resources to Boost or Changes Careers.”
Many Universities have embraced the online format and have begun publishing numerous classes in their catalogues online. These are not ‘new age’ online universities or small liberal arts colleges that none of us have heard mentioned. These are educational powerhouses, such as Yale, Harvard, MIT, and more.
In the past year, the University of California at Berkley as made a concerted effort to make large portions of the catalogue fully available online. Currently, the Spring 2012 catalogue, available on iTunes U has 86 full classes in mathematics, economics, history, the sciences, philosophy, law, and more. These courses range from introductory to advanced and are taught by the leaders in their field. You can view the entire catalogue by clicking here. Remember, you do not have to have an iPod or a Mac computer to play these courses. All that you need is iTunes on your computer (completely free software).
I was recently visiting with a friend of mine who was expressing dissatisfaction in her career and was telling me about her new plan to do a complete career shift. Now, we are in our 30s, well educated, and the thought of going back to school (and adding to already crippling loan debt) can be rather daunting. Instead, she told me that she was planning to take some free classes via iTunes U and MIT OpenCourseware. I had never even considered the potential of these courses for career changes – especially for those who already have college and graduate degrees. However, the opportunities for those who wish to do their own professional development in field as well as broadening their own opportunities are truly boundless.
There are many resources out there, the most famous of course being iTunes U. With access to an iOS device or simply a computer with iTunes (free software), anyone can listen in (audit) classes on a variety of topics: history, philosophy, computer programming, marketing, business, and more. These are not cheap or hapless classes – rather, they’re from world famous institutions like Stanford, Yale, Harvard, Cambridge, and Oxford (to name a limited few). Heck, if you’re interested in the Classical World, you can listen to my own educational podcasts (from my years at TCU).
One of the most famous recent announcements has been the Harvard-MIT EdX initiative. Harvard and MIT have come together to offer online course enrollment for a grade (but no degree) for those interested. So, ‘regular joes’ can enroll in some of the most prestigious university courses for no cost and even receive a grade (although no credit).
So while you may not get a Harvard Degree, these courses are an excellent way for adults to hone their own professional skills, indulge a hobby or interest, or even give you the prominent background understanding to change careers!
In cooperation with PBS, TED Talks Education will premiere Wednesday May 7 at 10/9 central on PBS. Hosted by John Legend, who works to break the cycle of poverty in his “Show Me Campaign,”
