Assignment #4 - Self Organized Learning Environments

Embedded below is a video that I LOVE and try to watch at least twice a year, I find it hugely inspiring. This is video that comes from TED conferences (Technology, Education and Design). You might remember that earlier in the year, I spoke about a woman named Aimee Mullins who has lost both of her legs and is still able to do all kinds of incredible things. I first saw her speak on the TED website.

Sugata Mitra speaks in this video about some amazing experiments he has conducted. I want you to watch for yourself and see what you think. If you would like the speech translated, you can click on the link and pick a language from the pull down menu below the video.

You do not have to watch the entire video. You can start at 7:15 and stop at 14:55. You are welcome to watch the whole thing, but the key stuff I want you to see is in the middle and you're probably eager to get down to work.


Once you have finished watching this video, you have a task to complete. You will work in a group of four students (hmm...I wonder why I picked THAT number!?) to complete this task. You may use only one computer among the four of you. Figure out how that will work in a fair way, you will need to figure out seating and turn off all but one of your computers, sitting in such a way that you can all see what is going on with your computer monitor.


Your groups and your topics:
Group A - Aaisha, Amy, Melissa, Reshad - Cyberbullying
Group B - Claire, Qavi, Shahad, Zuhair - Kiva, Freerice, The Girl Effect
Group C - Haneen, Jumanh, Tyler, Will - Plagarism on the Internet
Group D - Hannah, Mateen, Connor, Charlotte - Privacy on facebook
Group E - Jatinder, Tara, Zak - Your Digital Footprint
Group F - Jeffrey, Noah, Sara, Walid - Teenagers and Sleep

If I do not have your name on this list, it means you have not completed all the steps of Assignment #1. Make sure you get those done and I will put you in a group (and link to you) post haste.

Along with your group, research your topic. Pretend I'm not here. Help one another. The key thing I'm looking for in this task is that you REALLY understand your topic. The writing comes after great, in-depth research. While you research, save the web addresses of the really helpful sites you used. After you have a good grasp on your topic, select one student on whose blog you will post the answers to the following questions. You will collaboratively write a post that is directed to your peers. You will post this assignment on only ONE of your blogs. Other group members will link from their blogs to the completed post. Make sure you write IN YOUR OWN WORDS in a way that is appropriate and all conventions are followed (spelling, grammar, punctuation). Make sure to layout your work well, lots of white spaces, bold headings, etc. so it is easy and enjoyable to read. Remember, you are writing for your peers.

In your post, you must include:
-title of your topic
-a note that this is an assignment for class and a link to my blog, specifically this assignment
-names of all the researchers and links to each of their blogs
-3 or more great sources for information on this topic (hyperlinked)
-2 or more well placed, carefully selected images to help add clarity for your reader
-a description of what this issue is (think of "who, what, where, when, why, how" to guide your research and writing)
-a reflection on why this issue is important in the digital classroom
-a summary of how your readers (your peers) can use this information to make their own lives better (this could be in jot notes or sentences, but must be clear and easy to understand, it could be a list of tips for your reader)


Good luck and enjoy your SOLEs.