http://edtech.today.com EdTech and Distance Learning - Reflections of a Lifelong Learner Sun, 13 Sep 2009 10:35:25 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en <!--[if !mso]&gt; st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } &lt;![endif]--> In a blog post from 2006 Andy Carvin discussed his recent experience being temporarily disconnected from the Internet and takes the opportunity to reflect on those for whom this situation is not temporary. In his article "New Govt Report Exposes the School-Home Digital Divide ... http://edtech.today.com/2009/09/13/how-big-is-the-digital-divide/ Net researcher Danah Boyd reported recently at the Personal Democracy Forum in New York that rather than becoming a digital melting pot the Internet is mirroring social divides found offline. She explained that "Social media don't eradicate social divisions" but rather are "making the old social divisions obvious ... http://edtech.today.com/2009/07/03/social-divide-reproduced-online/ Digital Humanities Quarterly has an interesting article on "The New Economy of Attention" . It discusses the effect of technology and specifically Social Media on students' attention to a lecture and whether a "distraction" really takes away from learning. Perhaps focused, relevant distraction can actually help a student ... http://edtech.today.com/2009/06/29/embracing-social-media-as-an-important-e-learning-tool/ So here's an article that pretty much contradicts my last post . In it Rob Weir argues that older students tend to be more successful than younger ones and complete more online courses than his younger students, despite less familiarity with the technology. He claims that younger students love ... http://edtech.today.com/2009/05/25/does-age-matter-when-learning-online/ One of the hardest things about distance e-learning is trying to stay focused and motivated when sitting alone in front of a computer. There are several factors that can determine whether distance learning is appropriate for a particular student, including self motivation, ability to filter out distractions, and strong reading ... http://edtech.today.com/2009/05/20/adapting-to-e-learning-generational-differences/ In the current economic situation many people are finding themselves either unemployed or with jobs that have been cut back to part time. While it is frustrating to worry about paying bills during this time or be continually stressed by looking for a new job, it is encouraging to know ... http://edtech.today.com/2009/05/01/use-your-down-time-to-upgrade-your-skills/