Hi Dierdre
Thanks for offering these links.
I watched the times are changing exponentially. Food for thought. We are truely a global village and the population of the world is increasing at an exponential rate as well. This poses some challenges in terms of our environment and our well being.
It is a lucky coincidence for the human race that connectivity is a positive tool that has kept pace with these exponential changes. However just being connected is not enough. We need to help each other develop and the soft skills for new problems and situations that we may find ourselves facing in the future.
Cutting and pasting from your blog post below - these points certainly do apply across the board for adult learners not only for formal training but for do it yourself learners like me. It reminds me how important it is to immerse yourself in an information environment that supports you in what you want to achieve.
I'm wondering if children also need this type of environment. I recall Sesame Street was too noisy and busy for me and I much preferred Mr Dressup.
Is there anyone teaching primary grades who can shed some light here?
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According to Susan El-Shamy in her book
Training for the new and emerging generations, digital natives learn differently. They need:
1. fast paced, highly stimulating presentations
2. increased interactivity with the content and each other
3. information that relates to the learner’s world
4. multiple options for obtaining knowledge.
Medical education can respond to the needs of these students by increasing the amount of :
• multimodal content (graphic, auditory, hands on)
• active learning (read, write, discuss)
• experiential/contextual learning (job shadowing, simulation labs)
• problem based learning, team projects.