On-line participation opportunity with #Change11

I am planning to participate in a Massive Open Online Course, or MOOC called "Change11" 

Already it feels a little overwhelming - but I hope I will settle into some interesting threads, debates, blogs and networks about education, schooling and technology.



I did find this brief YouTube video by Will Richardson about MOOCs and PLNs (Personal Learning Networks) useful in deciding about participating in the MOOC.

I was mostly interested in what he had to say about the changes we are experiencing around how students learn. He talks about how students are already networked informally, into PLNs and that teachers need to help students to understand three aspects of this new form of collaboration. As educators, Richardson says we need to teach students how to network safely, ethically and effectively. I thought they were good points, and they resonated with me, in particular with some of my beliefs about revisiting ideas and /or developing a new curriculum emphasis for schools around personal independent learning which includes the skills of collaboration, networking, group work, conflict resolution, facilitation, communication and ethics as central aspects of becoming a successful digital learner...