Social Networking Sites and Critical Language Learning

Comparative chart - CHAT and Connectivism

The most difficult task EVER in this master's.

http://prezi.com/x-b48kdultwe/chat-and-connectivism/

Connectivism - George Siemens

Concept Maps

This first map is about the presentation given by a guy from Jericó - Antioquia

http://cmapspublic.ihmc.us/rid=1JWH548JS-HRDNS1-2Y8Q/Ivan's%20ICT%20TO%20ICT2.cmap

This second map is about U-learning, very interesting. And the presenter was really funny.

http://cmapspublic.ihmc.us/rid=1JWLVK41F-T75BPS-1KN0/ivan's%20E-LEARNING%20TO%20U-LEARNING.cmap

El Mapa Conceptual un Texto a Interpretar

This article is very enriching in that it helps consider mind maps as texts to communicate ideas or build knowledge, and not only as a learning tool.

Los mapas conceptuales son una herramienta que podemos emplear para representar nuestro conocimiento. A propósito de la discusión que tuvimos en clase sobre la caracterización del ser humano como ser tecnológico (Homo Habilis?, Homo Tecnus?), los mapas conceptuales son una herramienta gráfica (física?) con la que realizamos representaciones de las relaciones que establecemos entre los conceptos.  El uso de esta herramienta implica el dominio de una técnica (saber y saber-hacer; conception and execution in Michael Apple), involucra a  su vez el uso de otras herramientas, los diagramas, el lenguaje y el concepto mismo (¿Podemos afirmar que los conceptos son herramientas mentales?). Esta herramienta no sólo es útil para el aprendizaje de nuevos conceptos sino también para comunicar ideas y construir conocimiento. En este último sentido, el mapa conceptual es considerado un texto que encierra la intencionalidad de un autor/a y es sometido a la lectura e interpretaciones de los/as lectores/as.

Actividad de aprendizaje en EAV

 Bien interesante la teoría de la Actividad: las ideas de objeto, imagen mental, actividad, acción, operación parecen ser útiles para la creación de ambientes de aprendizaje, pero…easier said than done!

La Educación en Ambientes Virtuales procura que el aprendizaje ocurra mediante el desarrollo de la actividad, es decir, en el proceso de interacción  entre el sujeto y su entorno incluyendo otros sujetos.

El fundamento de tal actividad es el objeto, entendido, en su existencia independiente, como el deseo o necesidad de obtener algo. El objeto también existe como imagen mental del objeto, esto es, la idea clara de lo que se quiere obtener. Estos dos elementos orientan la actividad del sujeto.

En la enseñanza, los propósitos de aprendizaje cumple el rol del objeto y de su imagen mental. Los propósitos de aprendizaje son las metas que deberá alcanzar quien tiene la necesidad de aprender, y las que orientan su actividad de aprendizaje.

La actividad no es una mera sumatoria de procesos internos o mentales, sino que está constituida por la actividad externa o práctica, que conecta la actividad mental con el mundo objetivo. Para que exista una actividad se necesitan los conceptos y su aplicación.

El objeto de la actividad es la transformación de las estructuras mentales. Esta transformación requiere de varios procesos: acciones y operaciones. Las acciones son realizaciones conscientes que persiguen una meta a corto plazo. Las operaciones, por su parte, son procesos inconscientes, han sido interiorizadas.

Is the new technology part of the solution or part of the problem in education? Michael Apple

It is indispensable for us socially committed educators to conceive technology as a transformer of society, workplace and education. Students and teachers now face the challenge of developing their computer literacy which implies a change in their labor process: learning and teaching through ICT’s stand as a challenge to more conventional ways of education.

However, we should contest the alleged revolution of technology on education and life. We should be aware and raise awareness of the potential perpetuation of cultural and economic inequities in society that technological advances bring about despite their promises of a fairer world. Technology has perversely been sold as the savor of economy and education.

Very similar to the English as a universal language phenomenon, or agenda?, in which students and citizens are pushed by government agencies, private corporations, and an explicable massive hysteria (or mass hypnosis) to be literate in English. Despite ambitious programs like PNB, the imposed teaching of English has created inequalities, or made the existent ones wider, in our society since the access to learning English remains a privilege for a few who are economically advantaged.

Economy rules in the teaching of English and the implementation of ICT’s in the classroom. The economic interests of powerful groups are imposed to education, and policy-makers and political leaders are their henchmen. Apple calls for a critical attitude towards the role of ICT’s in the classroom. We must consider political, economic and ethical implications of taking the locomotive of technological industry (una de las locomotoras del presente gobierno colombiano que jalonará el progreso y la prosperidad democrática). We must ask: whose idea of progress? Progress for what? Who benefits?.

El concepto de Ambiente Virtual de Aprendizaje desde una perspectiva mediacional - María Elena Giraldo

“En una perspectiva relacional, la continuidad biológica del hombre con otros mamíferos se rompe con la liberación de los constreñimientos técnicos  incorporados biológicamente a la sinergia corporal para crear un nuevo ambiente: el social.” (p. 198)

ah? what the heck? can anybody help understand this, please? I haven't been able to decode it.


On the other hand this article, although quite philosophical, helps realize how serious the pedagogical use of ICT's turns out to be. First, ICT's are considered more than a mere instrument of learning and teaching, they must act as an enhancer of the mediation and interaction processes needed in the internalization of new knowledge. These two processes, then, must be present in every virtual learning environment in whcih ICT's are not just machines used to make a product, but technological and symbolic mediators of the learning process. They are useful to generate spaces of interaction and mediation between learners and teachers, learners and other learners, learners and content, learner and context, and learners and knowledge.        

Ambientes de Aprendizajes Mediados por TIC - Andrés Peláez

This is a very interesting article, specially when the author relates Vigotsky's social theory of learning and Ausubel's theory of meaninful learning to the applications of ICT's in the teaching and learning process. 
Ausubel stated that learners' motivation and attitude are key to learning meaningfully. According to the article, a learning environment must catch learners' attention, keep up their interest, and stir their curiosity. The use of ICT's can help reach this purpose. Another point made by Ausubel is that learning occurs when learners make connections between thier previously built knowledge and new concepts. ICT's stand for a proper semiotic mediation to help learners connect what they already know with what they expect to learn. In VIgotsky's theory, this mediation triggers the development of higher cognitive structures. Another profit  of ICT's is that they foster social interactions through the mediation of images and texts.