Minds on Fire

The online article "Minds on Fire: Open Education, the Long Tail, and Learning 2.0" definitely supports the concept of social learning through the use of open source software. There are several statements in the article which are critical in persuading an audience to believe that learning needs to be acquired in a way that meets the demanding needs of our changing world. It is stated that in order for a society to be and stay competitive in a global market, there must be an educated workforce with competitive requisite skills; that "global ecosystems must supply the workforce for continuous learning and for the ongoing creation of new ideas and skills". As I am learning more about the significance of technology in our community as educators, I do believe that it is important that individuals learn, possess, and become a technological participant of the 21st century work force. If we are trying to pursue a career that requires us to constantly learn, then we need to constantly stay updated with the resources and tools that will allow us to prosper within a particular field. Especially with today's economy and work industry, possessing such knowledge and skills among technology and the use of the Internet only allows one to be a stronger candidate for employment--especially if moving from one career area to another.
As an educator, this article reinforces the idea that even though I will not possess different careers throughout my professional experience, I still need to understand the various resources available for instruction through technology and media. At one point in the article, there is mention of the concept that numerous professional studies support the research that learning best takes place when a group of individuals work together verses an individual working and studying alone. This is one argument that I truly support as an educator. I do believe that students of all ages and abilities can learn more effectively when working together in a community. This concept of the Demand-Pull theory encourages students to become active learners; learners who become fully immersed into an activity, research project, or discussion that allows each person to better understand material and concepts.
The examples provided regarding how students at colleges and universities connect through open source software and other online software programs is very extensive. I can see how this type of learning is manageable at the college level but for k-12 educators this can become overwhelming and intimidating. It is interesting that as we try to raise our standardized test scores in reading and writing, our corporation hires and implements literacy coaches to assist teachers in methods and strategies that enhance our instruction, in hopes of raising our students' abilities. So why not do the same for technology? If technology is becoming such a crucial part of the future for our students and how well prepared or equipped they are with life skills-why not begin implementing experts into the classroom as well-Someone who can assist teachers in using technology as a form of instruction?

In addition to reading the article, I also wanted to refresh my understanding of open source software. I was curious at discovering what is available for myself as a secondary ed teacher. The following link was very helpful in reviewing descriptions about Moodle, FreeMind (concept mapping), many more.