5.+What+can+we+do?

= = =Step 1: Reflect on our educational views = Re-examining our views is always a healthy exercise and is extremely important during times of significant change. Much of the focus with regards to the use of educational technologies has been on “efficiency” and “convenience”. While these may be important, they have diverted attention away from the use of educational technologies for providing more "effective" learning experiences. Currently, we are more likely to implement technology that allows us to do the same thing we are doing now, only more quickly and easily, than we are to implement technology that may be more effective, but would require more of our time, or our learners’ time. We need to stop confusing “efficiency” with “effectiveness”.

// “While the shortest line between two points is a straight line, it is also the least interesting.” //

=Step 2: Think "active", not "passive" = As the graphic below indicates, learning activities that require more engagement and collaboration provide a richer, more effective learning experience. Select educational technologies that encourage and support active engagement and collaboration. While they may take a bit more time and effort to set up and facilitate, the potential for a more meaningful and deeper learning experience is much greater.

// “Learning is a social process. Knowledge is an emergent property of interactions between networks of learners.” // - Siemens and Tittenberger

=Step 3: Commit to trying one new thing = Commit to trying one new thing. Many of us feel anxious and overwhelmed by the rapid changes brought on by technology. We can overcome our fears by committing to trying one new thing to the best of our abilities without worrying about making mistakes. We should also remember that our students often feel the same anxiety when we ask them to try something new and unfamiliar. We can help them through this anxiety by leading by example.

// “If you are not prepared to be wrong, then you will never come up with anything original.” // - Sir Ken Robinson