Learning+Communities

=NETS*T for Learning Communities=

**1. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity**
Teachers use their knowledge of subject matter, teaching and learning, and technology to facilitate experiences that advance student learning, creativity, and innovation in both face-to-face and virtual environments. Teachers... .....a. promote, support, and model creative and innovative thinking and inventiveness .....b. engage students in exploring real-world issues and solving authentic problems using digital tools and resources .....c. promote student reflection using collaborative tools to reveal and clarify students’ conceptual understanding and thinking, planning, and creative processes .....d. model collaborative knowledge construction by engaging in learning with students, colleagues, and others in face-to-face and virtual environments

Teachers design, develop, and evaluate authentic learning experiences and assessments incorporating contemporary tools and resources to maximize content learning in context and to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes identified in the NETS•S. Teachers... .....a. design or adapt relevant learning experiences that incorporate digital tools and resources to promote student learning and creativity .....b. develop technology-enriched learning environments that enable all students to pursue their individual curiosities and become active participants in setting their own educational goals, managing their own learning, and assessing their own progress .....c. customize and personalize learning activities to address students’ diverse learning styles, working strategies, and abilities using digital tools and resources .....d. provide students with multiple and varied formative and summative assessments aligned with content and technology standards and use resulting data to inform learning and teaching

Teachers exhibit knowledge, skills, and work processes representative of an innovative professional in a global and digital society. Teachers... .....a. demonstrate fluency in technology systems and the transfer of current knowledge to new technologies and situations .....b. collaborate with students, peers, parents, and community members using digital tools and resources to support student success and innovation .....c. communicate relevant information and ideas effectively to students, parents, and peers using a variety of digital-age media and formats .....d. model and facilitate effective use of current and emerging digital tools to locate, analyze, evaluate, and use information resources to support research and learning

** 4. Promote and Model Digital Citizenship and Responsibility **
Teachers understand local and global societal issues and responsibilities in an evolving digital culture and exhibit legal and ethical behavior in their professional practices. Teachers... .....a. advocate, model, and teach safe, legal, and ethical use of digital information and technology, including respect for copyright, intellectual property, and the appropriate documentation of sources .....b. address the diverse needs of all learners by using learner-centered strategies and providing equitable access to appropriate digital tools and resources .....c. promote and model digital etiquette and responsible social interactions related to the use of technology and information

** 5. Engage in Professional Growth and Leadership **
Teachers continuously improve their professional practice, model lifelong learning, and exhibit leadership in their school and professional community by promoting and demonstrating the effective use of digital tools and resources. Teachers... .....b. exhibit leadership by demonstrating a vision of technology infusion, participating in shared decision making and community building, and developing the leadership and technology skills of others .....c. evaluate and reflect on current research and professional practice on a regular basis to make effective use of existing and emerging digital tools and resources in support of student learning .....d. contribute to the effectiveness, vitality, and self-renewal of the teaching profession and of their school and community

= = =Reflection on Learning Communities=

.....Part of the problem with some of the “online communities” and social networks (besides being blocked), is that they start out free, especially to educators, and then they decide they need to start charging. Ning did this. I started my own Ning for a class a couple years ago. I had to have it unblocked at school and I was using it for uploading projects and discussions I could later use with my classes. Then Ning pulled all the educator accounts and wanted to charge for them. Eventually they did agree to very limited privileges on free educator accounts which are cycled monthly. In the process, I lost some of my stuff and I can’t use it the way I had originally intended. Twitter is another tool that I had to use for another class. It is blocked in our district and not likely to be unblocked. I see an advantage to students in that they must think carefully and precisely because of the limit on the number of characters you can offer. However, looking for meaningful interaction, I am not convinced. I feel there are more educationally supported tools which serve the purpose with more flexibility. Twitter is very much like FaceBook. I’ve been using FaceBook to connect with friends more regularly than email, however I am still not really convinced of their educational value outside of making kids write more concisely. …..When I think of “global learning communities” I tend to think more of Moodle, Blended Schools, and wikis. All three of these tools are used to gather and present educational content. Wikis have the advantage of being free, however they are more limited with how content is delivered. Moodle and Blended Schools are 100% learning environments but they are also quite costly. I have seen much growth in Moodle since my first online graduate classes over three years ago. It always was user friendly, but now it is more aesthetically appealing. Being my district’s OPC for Blended Schools (BSN), I have seen amazing things happening there also. Real discussion threads, journaling, ability to embed almost everything, creating quizzes and other assessments, plagiarism checks, whiteboards, the list just keeps going. It allows for individual work, collaborative work, and participant interactions. Materials can be graded by BSN automatically with no wait time and the grades are transferred into the gradebook. I have some class content developed for BSN for use with my 5th grades, and I am updated a course to include research skills and digital citizenship. There are so many possibilities with it. There had been discussion a couple years ago that BSN was taking over Moodle, but that apparently never happened. Either way, they are both excellent online, global learning communities.  …..Though I feel the advantages of Twitter and Ning are limited, I greatly support the more flexible and varied online classroom environments.