Envisioning Learning Societies: Integrating ICT

My notes on  “TOWARD LEARNING SOCIETIES AND THE GLOBAL CHALLENGES FOR LEARNING-WITH-ICT” by Bernie Trilling.

As we enter the Knowledge Age, societies must increasingly become learner-centered or “Learning Societies” in order to “empower their citizens to both compete in the global economy and to sustain vibrant social, cultural and governmental institutions” (Trilling, 2005, p.1). The last big shift we experienced, as a country, was the shift from the Agricultural Age to the Industrial Age.

Learning in the 21^st Century requires more than proficiency in reading, writing, and arithmetic; the 3 R’s. Essential learning skills for the 21^st Century include the Seven C’s:

• Critical Thinking and Doing
• Creativity
• Collaboration
• Cross-cultural understanding
• Communication
• Computing
• Career and Learning Self-Reliance

Individuals who have grown up with technology, and those that have adapted to it, think and act differently than those who are not as comfortable using technology in their everyday lives. 21^st Century Learners display the following skills:

• Searching – use search engines to find information
• Collecting – graphics, music, videos
• Creating – stories, websites, avatars, games, apps
• Sharing – websites, blogs, art, music, videos
• Communicating – email, text, Skype, mobile
• Coordinating – projects, travel plans, workgroups
• Meeting – forums, chat rooms, multiplayer games, online dating
• Socializing – social sites such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
• Evaluating – reputation systems, rating systems, online advisors
• Buying and Selling – auction sites such as eBay, forums, online shopping
• Gaming – solo, one on one, multiplayer
• Learning – online research, online courses

The Five Cs of Learning Theory

Context – Authentic Learning
Construction – Mental Modeling Building
Caring – Intrinsic Motivation
Competence – Multiple Intelligences
Community – Learning Socially in Groups

The Top 10 Challenges for Learning with ICT

• Personalized and Universally Designed Learning – moving from one size fits all to the right size for each one using technology to help personalize, differentiate, and deliver a more flexible, universally designed curriculum.
• Online Collaborative Learning Environments – spaces for learning that are spam-free, easy-to-use, and collaborative.
• Encylo-medias. Learning Games and Simulation Libraries – imagine a global online library for learning that provides universal access to rich online encyclopedias and simulation libraries for all subjects.
• A 21^st Century Balanced Approach to Learning – we need a balance of online and hands-on, on-screen and off, virtual and visceral, instruction and construction, teacher-led and student initiated learning.
• The Mobile Learning Toolkit – mobile apps that are integrated into the curriculum and ones that are easy-to-use.
• Digital Portfolios and Embedded Assessments – capture snapshots of digital work in an electronic portfolio for review, assessment, and for students to see their capacities grow.
• Leadership Development for Digital Educators – the role of technology in stimulating, supporting, and sustaining change in how educators learn and lead.
• 21^st Century Learning Spaces – will have to provide students with personal spaces for digital equipment as well as their books, group areas for computer-supported collaboration.
• The Integrated Learning Utility – creating an integrated, open source, hosted, approach to running administrative.
• A Global United Learning Alliance – an international alliance of education, business, health and government to take up the challenge of preparing learners to join the knowledge workforce.