VCLearning

=Student Engagement and Learning with Video-conferencing= Lead Facilitator: Danny Maas

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http://youtube.com/watch?v=UXXw6_v-g98

We know that VC activities need interaction and ways to keep kids' attention, but they also need to result in good learning opportunities. This section will draw on a bit of the research on learning and memory and will involve some group sharing and brainstorming around VC activities and strategies which set the stage for learning and engagement to occur.

Task - Try to keep students engaged is a big deal and you **can't dismiss good teaching Students need to be comfortable in the environment**, a slow process that takes time to build the interaction Give **students the most active role** so teacher is the facilitator-students to do most of the speaking
 * Take a minute independently to think of all the best learning experiences you've been involved with, be it with VC, with other technologies, or in the classroom.


 * In partners, take 2 minutes each to share your thoughts and/or experiences.

A Snapshot on Learning - Information borrowed from the following websites: Kathy Sierra - [|Crash Course on Learning Theory] Funderstanding - [|About Learning]

Key Points: > >> > >> > >>
 * Vygotsky and Social Cognition
 * Learning happens with and through language in a social context
 * Learning happens through problem solving with others
 * Initially the person interacting with the child leads most of the problem solving, and gradually releases responsibility to the child (e.g. scaffolded activities)
 * With appropriate help/structure/guidance, a child can do things they normally would never be able to do alone
 * Constructivism
 * Learning is an active search for meaning and understanding, not memorizing 'right' answers or someone else's meaning
 * Brain-based Research on Learning
 * [|Take a quick look at Kathy Sierra's blog posting on Learning Theory]

An exercise on connecting to the brain-based research
 * Watch the following video clip
 * Make as many connections between the learning research and this video clip as you can (use your imagination or humor if you wish)

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http://youtube.com/watch?v=ccWrbGEFgI8