NMC Campus Observer

“Choice” Event Recap

CDB Barkley (aka Alan Levine) : Jul 10, 2007 04:24pm

Last Sunday and Monday, a group of graduate students from Pepperdine University’s Online Masters Degree in Education (OMET) coordinated an event and dialogue on the topic of “Choice” in Education, hosted on NMC Campus’s Teaching 2 amphitheater.

The Monday night session was slotted as a time for the NMC Campus Teacher’s Buzz Session to participate. Regretfully, in RL, this dog was rather sick and missed the event. Fortunately, event organizer Angelique Jano provided a bit of recap:

For the last two nights 7/8 and 7/9, Pepperdine University’s Online Masters Degree in Education (OMET) students have led events on the NMC campus. The focus was “Choice” within varied, and often highly structured, setting such as K-12, higher education and corporations. The evening’s goals included stimulating ideas and starting conversations around choice in education.

In addition to featuring Melissa Anderson, Pedagogical Advisor of Blackboard Worldwide, as the live keynote speaker, the event also consisted of a short machinima video on concepts connecting to choice, a slideshow and a podcast interview between renowned ed tech blogger Steve Hargadon and distinguished learning theorist Gary Stager, PhD.

Steve Hargadon interview with Gary Stager

Both nights culminated in lively and thought provoking discussions between the guests and Pepperdine Cadre 9 students (the Bucca9ers). To continue the dialogue a forum has been set up on the group’s website. To encourage tangible ideas for choice a contest is underway. The contest consists of your demonstration/explanation of a choice-based best practice that empowers learners. The deadline is July 16th and the winner will receive an iPod. You can check out the website for more details and/or to add your voice to the forum: http://secondlife4education.org/

Avatar for Melissa Anderson provides opening remarks. More photos available on flickr.

Give Education a Second Life video

Story filed under: Teacher's Buzz, Teaching and Learning, What's Happening

See all stories by CDB Barkley (aka Alan Levine)