Educating the Net Generation

Interested in taking this course? Register at the PLS Website.

In the month of May we reviewed new and upcoming online courses. We also shared the process of online course development from concept to actualization.  The last course up for review is Educating the Net Generation Online ™.

Educating the Net Generation (ENG) helps educators gain some insight on how to effectively teach and work with the current and upcoming generation of students who are savvy in both technology and networked learning. By participating in this course, teachers can learn how to meet the unique learning needs of these students, but they are also encouraged to actively develop content in the media that Net Gen students are comfortable with. Many of the course assignments are completed in a wiki. In these assignments, the participants share content with each other or develop content together in a Wetpaint. Participants also get a chance to explore different learning mediums such as video games, social networking sites, mobile learning experiences.

The Net Generation course wiki

Students of ENG also review and discuss other topics pertinent to educating a more tech savvy generation including trends and approaches in Internet Safety education. They also take some time to examine the nature of “informal learning” as it applies to the Net Generation’s learning style. Informal learning theory asserts that individuals can learn effectively outside of formal learning events such as lessons, lectures, and classroom activities via informal social activity and shared or collaborative experiences. Because of their experience using multi-player and cooperative video games, and their connections via social networking sites and social software, Net Generation students learn informally everyday.

Moreover, Net Generation kids are not content to learn via traditional paper and pencil activities. Teachers, who truly wish to engage this generation of learners, need to engage them in activities where they develop content in more than just written essays. Online media content development tools easily allow students to  collaborate on “student created content” such as written content, podast radio shows, and even film and video. The course offers exposure to engaging “student centered” project ideas for teachers. In fact, Educating the Net Generation Online requires that participants engage in their own content development activities. Participants engage in focused inquiry and research on a particular aspect, tool or issue with teaching the Net Generation. They take the results of their inquiry and develop a lesson plan that either addresses or incorporates these results, and they get a chance to develop their own multimedia presentation for TeacherTube, an online video sharing site for educators. Participants choose their own topics, but they are also offered a list of project topics for inspiration.  You can view a copy of this project idea list here.