Picking up on the question of how your learning stategies have changed
over the last five years, I know for myself that I spend a lot more time
online than I used to. I probably read more online than I do print,
although this is a fairly recent development.

I recently did a workshop called Web 2.0 for Administrators. To help me
decide which topics to include, I went to a social networking site I
belong to, http://classroom20.ning.com, and posted the question on a forum
there. I got some great answers from teachers and administrators in
various parts of the world, learned about some new possibilities, and
definitely improved my workshop. So, this is my new favorite learning
strategy - social networking. 

Do you have a learning strategy that wouldn't have been possible 10 years
ago? A site that you use? What do you think our learners need to know
about locating information?

The technology section of the ALE Wiki has a discussion of how to keep up
with technology from July 2005. The list of suggestions is here:
http://wiki.literacytent.org/index.php/AleTechnologyKeepingUp
I wonder if there are things that we would add now that weren't around two
years ago.

Marian

The Technology and Literacy Discussion List <technology at nifl.gov> on
Wednesday, October 03, 2007 at 12:46 PM -0800 wrote:

>One interesting question raised by the online professional development

>plan is - how do we learn new things? We created a list of learning

>strategies based on the experience of the expert advisors and

>interviewing a variety of teachers. On the form you can choose a strategy

>from the list or add your own. The list includes:

>

>- Self-study online: This is where all the resources the David and others

>collected are listed, related to each competency. More and more I think

>we go online when we want new information, or to answer a question, so we

>started there.

>

>- Read a book or journal article (Yes, we still read words printed on

>paper, right?!)

>

>- Attend a conference

>

>- Subscribe to an electronic discussion list (Well, if you're reading

>this email you already employ this strategy!)

>

>- Find a tech buddy: A tech buddy is a friend or relative who is ahead of

>you on the technology trail, the person you go to when you have a

>technology question. If you don't have one, it's worth looking around for

>one.

>

>- Get a technology mentor: A mentor relationship would be a bit more

>formal than with a tech buddy. You might decide to focus on a particular

>topic with your mentor, and meet regularly a certain number of times. It

>might be set up through a program or department rather than by an

>individual on their own.

>

>- Join or start a study circle: Since NCSALL started promoting study

>circles as an effective way for teachers to learn, and began to develop

>and disseminate materials for study circles, this has become a popular

>approach to professional development. (See [

>http://www.ncsall.net/?id=25#teach ]http://www.ncsall.net/?id=25#teach)

>

>- Use your state literacy resource center: States have adult basic skills

>resource centers that offer a variety of professional development

>

>- Take a course

>

>- Take an online course

>

>- Create or join a learning community: the description focuses on

>web-based communities, but this could also be face-to-face

>

>- Make integrating technology a teacher research project for yourself or

>your students

>

>- Other, add your own

>

>Does this list cover it? Any comments on particular strategies? What are

>you favorite learning strategies? How have your strategies changed over

>the last five years?

>

>Marian

>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>Marian Thacher, OTAN

>P.O. Box 269003

>Sacramento, CA 95826-9003

>(916) 228-2597

>[ http://www.otan.us ]www.otan.us

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