Category: Ρηξικέλευθη επιχειρηματικότητα

In Support of 3D Environment in Education

28/1/2016

It has been almost a year now since I embarked on MachinEVO course for language teachers online.
Since my CAMELOT award (1st prize) and as Moderator of this year's EVO ViLLAGE, I have developed a new approach to viewing teacher education which opens up new paths to education and teaching.

All this along with my personal strong convinction of the usefulness of Virtual 3D environments in education, encourage me to reflect on my own experience during the 8th SLanguages Annual Symposium 2015 (which I had inadvertently omitted) .

The Symposium came as a most outstanding event just before the end of a year characterised by vigorous activity at all levels in the world of education.
With EduNation Island, Second Life® being a hive of activity for many years now, the Symposium came, once again, to confirm the ongoing effort, unfaltering energy and care which are invested in quality education to create and maintain learner supportive environments, to improve living standards, and promote levels of sustainable development.

During the 8th SLanguages Symposium, speakers from around the world reflected on their recent professional experience with teaching and researching in 3D environments. Moderated by Professor Randall Sadler, (University of Illinois, Dept. of Linguistics, co-owner of EduNation islands in Second Life), Heike Philp (co-initiator of EU funded LANCELOT, AVALON and the CAMELOT project), Christel Schneider (Research Assistant for the CAMELOT Project at the University of Central Lancashire, founder of CSiTrain), Carol Rainbow (author, ICT consultant & teacher trainer), Helen Myers (teacher of French, Chair of London ALL), Shelwyn Corrigan (Learn IT Town, University of San Fransisco), Ann Nowak (ELT teacher), Hazel Workman (3D animator, technology consultant) and Helena Galani (ELT/EAP educator, assessor), the successful event provided ample evidence of the tireless and powerful work being done in Virtual Worlds for education.

Amongst other prominent presenters and researchers*, Keynote Speaker Stylianos Mystakidis (Learning Technologist and E-learning Manager, University of Patras, Centre for Vocational Training) focused on "Social Virtual Reality: Open Education’s Surprising Secret Sauce" by guiding us through a series of exciting activities to stimulate learners' mind in our classrooms.

On 14th November, the first day of the Symposium, surrounded by an enthusiastic and creative group of like-minded colleagues, I presented the usefulness of "SL Machinima for Young & Teenage Learners". The recordings for my presentations can be viewed on the SLanguages webpage and my slides are uploaded here:

Also, below please find the slides for my presentation on "From Board Games to Role Plays" (15th November, 2015).

The transformational experience in Virtual Worlds goes on and it has a lot to offer to all levels of education.

More news is coming up soon about this year's running TESOL EVO Virtual Language Learning And Gaming Environment course for teachers (EduNation Island, Second Life, 11/1 - 14/2/2016).

Helena Galani

* 8th SLanguages Annual Symposium Speakers:

Jegatheva (Jay Jay) Jegathesan, manager of the School of Physics, The University of Western Australia;
Ann Nowak [Ann von Rhein], Germany;
Annie Mazzocco, Italy;
CAMELOT Symposium partners; University of Istanbul Symposium Panelists;
Sarah Pasfield-Neofitou and Scott Grant, Monash University;
Andrea Benassi and Letizia Cinganotto, Italy;
Moonyoung Park, University of Aizu, Japan;
Christel Schneider, Research Assistant, CAMELOT Project, University of Central Lancashire;
David Richardson, Linnaeus University, Sweden;
Bronwyn Stuckey, educational technologist, Australia;
Vance Stevens, CALL moderator, TESOL EVO coordinator, Computing lecturer, Abu Dhabi;
Marijana and Filip Smolčec; Peggy Hartwick, Carleton University, Canada;
Stella K. Hadjistassou, University of Cyprus;
James T. Abraham, PhD, Arizona;
Martha Eugenia Lino, Mexico;
Gord Holden, Director of Immersive Technology, Heritage Christian Online School, British Columbia;
KEYNOTE Nick Zwart, TILA, Telecollaboration Language game in OpenSimulator, Holland;
Dr. Malcolm Alan Compitello, University of Arizona
Dr. Juliana Luna Freire, CIBOLA, Framingham State University;
Russ Bronson, Morelos;
KEYNOTE Lowri Mills., Texas

0 Comments

The bottom line - Η ουσία

21/12/2014

0 Comments

EN

In a balanced talk at TEDxLondon, Sir Ken Robinson (the most watched TED speaker ever), renown leader in the development of education, creativity and innovation, flagged the importance of education as a key to the future, quoting H. G. Wells in saying "Civilisation is a race between education and catastrophe".

With technology evolving at such a rapid pace, there are still constant reminders that we are not here to invent the wheel anew. On balancing between progressive and traditional education, personalised education comes forward as a mainstream form of shaping the educational environment to satisfy the learning needs of the individual.
This is all at an effort to bring out the talents, creativity and engagement of all learners at any educational level.

But what is all this based on?
What changes need to take place to improve the learning experience and what the extent of outrospection should be is all up to the individual educator, trainer, school owner, educational institution or local authority to determine bearing in mind all the practical limitations each and every time.
Those societies whose culture is already based on the idea of empathic fullfillment are already aware of counterbalancing this approach with a more entrepreneurial attitude to bring out, sustain or improve the levels of growth and development for its members at any level (personal, educational, societal, geopolitical).
For societies in which convergence is the guiding light, the importance of mutual empathy is what brings its members together.

If you wish to watch sir Ken Robinson's TEDxLondon web talk (17th September 2007), you can do so here

To understand the value of empathy and its differences from sympathy, you can watch this animation by Katy Davis from the RSA charity with Greek subtitles here.

ΕΛ

Σε μια πολύ ισορροπημένη ομιλία του για το TEDxLondon, ο σερ Κεν Ρόμπινσον, (ο πιο δημοφιλής ομιλητής των TED), ηγετική προσωπικότητα στην ανάπτυξη της εκπαίδευσης, της δημιουργικότητας και της καινοτομίας επισημαίνει τη σπουδαιότητα της παιδείας ως κλειδί για το μέλλον παραθέτοντας τα λόγια του Όρ. Ουέλς ότι «Ο πολιτισμός είναι ένας αγώνας ανάμεσα στην παιδεία και την καταστροφή.»

Με την τεχνολογία να εξελίσσεται με τέτοιους ραγδαίους ρυθμούς, υπάρχουν ακόμη συνεχείς υπενθυμίσεις ότι δεν βρισκόμαστε εδώ για να επινοήσουμε εκ νέου τον τροχό. Ισορροπώντας ανάμεσα στην Προοδευτική και την Παραδοσιακή εκπαίδευση, η προσωποποιημένη εκπαίδευση βγαίνει μπροστά ως μορφή διαμόρφωσης του μαθησιακού περιβάλλοντος για να ικανοποιηθούν οι μαθησιακές ανάγκες του ατόμου.

Όλα αυτά σε μια προσπάθεια να αναδειχθούν τα ταλέντα, η δημιουργικότητα και η συμμετοχικότητα όλων των μαθητών σε οποιοδήποτε εκπαιδευτικό επίπεδο.

Σε τι βασίζεται αυτό;
Οι αλλαγές και ο βαθμός εξωστρέφειας που χρειάζονται για να βελτιωθεί η μαθησιακή εμπειρία έγκεινται στον εκπαιδευτικό, στον εκπαιδευτή, τον ιδιοκτήτη σχολείου, τον εκπαιδευτικό οργανισμό, την τοπική αρχή, και καθορίζονται λαμβάνοντας υπόψιν όλους τους πρακτικούς περιορισμούς ανά περίσταση κάθε φορά.

Οι κοινωνίες των οποίων ο πολιτισμός βασίζεται στην ιδέα της εκπληρωτικής ενσυναίσθησης ήδη αντιλαμβάνονται την εξισορρόπηση αυτής της προσέγγισης με μια πιο ρηξικέλευθη επιχειρηματική αντίληψη για να παρακινήσουν, να διατηρήσουν ή να βελτιώσουν τα επίπεδα της προόδου και της ανάπτυξης για τα μέλη τους σε οποιοδήποτε επίπεδο (προσωπικό, εκπαιδευτικό, κοινωνικό, γεωπολιτικό).
Για κοινωνίες των οποίων το φωτεινό παράδειγμα είναι η σύγκλιση, η σημασία της αμοιβαίας ενσυναίσθησης είναι αυτή που φέρνει τα μέλη τους πιο κοντά.

Εάν θέλετε να παρακολουθήσετε την διαδικτυακή ομιλία του σερ Κεν Ρόμπινσον, για το TEDxLondon (17 Σεπτέμβρη 2007), πατήστε εδώ.

Για να καταλάβετε την αξία της ενσυναίσθησης και τις διαφορές της με την λύπηση, μπορείτε να παρακολουθήσετε αυτήν την κινούμενη απεικόνιση της Κέιτι Ντέιβις από την ομάδα RSA με ελληνικούς υποτίτλους.

0 Comments

In Support of 3D Environment in Education

The bottom line - Η ουσία

Archives

Categories