Greetings,
One of my favorite authors, John Green, spoke at a TED conference in his hometown of Indianapolis about learning and the the various learning communities online. His talk, “The Nerd’s Guide to Learning Everything,” can be split into two parts. First, Green discusses his own experiences as a student and how he views education. The second introduces the many different types of communities that exist online, particularly on Youtube, and how they bring a broad range of learners to interesting subject matter.
Before I continue, why not check it out right now?
One of my favorite authors, John Green, spoke at a TED conference in his hometown of Indianapolis about learning and the the various learning communities online. His talk, “The Nerd’s Guide to Learning Everything,” can be split into two parts. First, Green discusses his own experiences as a student and how he views education. The second introduces the many different types of communities that exist online, particularly on Youtube, and how they bring a broad range of learners to interesting subject matter.
Before I continue, why not check it out right now?
He begins his talk by shifting away from thinking of education as a series of hurdles. Instead, Green views an individual’s education as a mapmaking process. As learners, the information and skills we choose to discover and invest in shape our particular knowledge “maps.” He believes, “While maps don’t show you where you will go in your life, they show you where you might go. You rarely go to a place not on your map.” As an example, learning about the causes of the American Revolution, analyzing poetry, or working through calculus may not have lead to my future profession but they have given me starting points and resources to better understand my world. Essentially, these endeavors have given me opportunity. I think this is an awesome idea to run with as teachers. Instead of visualizing students as brains to be filled with a set information sequence, we should inspire students to pursue knowledge that adds to their own maps in a meaningful way. As we know, making curriculum relevant is key in creating successful lesson plans. A phrase that also comes to mind is, “individualized learning.” Learners should be wistfully pursuing the information that helps them in defining and making sense of their own experiences. Turning students into lifelong learners is the end goal, at least for me.
One of the Youtube communities Green introduces is his own. The channel, CrashCourse, which was developed alongside his brother, Hank, creates engaging and informative videos on a range of topics. The Green brothers collaborate with experts in fields such as economics, history, and science to bring the material to life. CrashCourse has already become a major hit for educators and students. High school students, in particular, utilize the videos as supplemental study tools for their classes. (Personally, I have found his videos in biology and history to be particularly helpful in studying for the CSET). Green compares the Youtube page setup to a traditional classroom. He notes that there is the instructor (the video) and the students (those engaging in comments below). Not only is the content made relevant and interesting, learners engage each other in the comments section and work to ask and answer questions. This process allows students to strengthen critical thinking, make connections, and develop digital citizenship.
The ideas brought forth about learning online and educational “mapmaking,” fall into several of the ISTE National Educational Technology Standards. Two, in particular, stand out:
I. Facilitate and Inspire Student Learning and Creativity
- Utilizing online learning communities, particularly Youtube Channels, brings new life to dusty material through video presentations that engage multiple learning styles
- Sharing in online communities connects students to learners worldwide, inspiring them to communicate as global citizens
- Offering alternative choices with numerous online learning communities allows for students to make decisions in their own education, exercising self-autonomy
- Inspires students to develop their own videos and engage their own creativity
and,
III. Model Digital-Age Work and Learning
- Bringing online learning communities into your classroom shows you know how to utilize digital resources effectively for student engagement
- Introduces alternative routes to knowledge for your students
- Inspires students to collaborate with peers using technology for greater understanding
In closing my question for everyone would be…how can online learning communities improve your own particular grade levels and subjects? Do you see Youtube as a viable means to access accurate and well presented information?
Check out CrashCourse right now! Here’s the introduction video: