Briefly discuss the following issues:
1. what did you find

1.1. interesting about the article?

I liked the ideas behind user-directed and supportive computational enviornments supporting lifelong learning and the breakdowns of these enviornments as opportunities for learning. I've always taken computational enviornments for learning as they are and have never been interested in improving or further designing them as any concern of mine. If there are breakdowns it's not my problem but that of the designers. But as the article says, if the designers aren't available then the user should be motivated to learn from these breakdowns and not think of it as someone else's problem. This is definitely a way to motivate users to learn.

1.2. not interesting about the article?

The CU Boulder experiences section of the paper was of least interest to me. It was cool to see all that CU Boulder has done in bridging the gap among different cultures but I thought it unnecessary for this article.

2. what do you consider the main message of the article?

The main message of this article is that in order for a magnitude jump in the way people learn, we must adopt a lifelong learning approach that not only uses technology in ways that make learning "easier," but make the users more motivated to learn and use the technology that we have in more efficient and creative ways. We need to step beyond the gift wrapping approach of technology and let education drive how we use technology and not the other way around.

3. click on one of the words in blue and see what happens?

3.1. is this feature useful?

Yes because it helps me more understand the concepts that I might not be familiar with.

3.2. in which other situations have you encountered this feature?

I've encountered these links whenever viewing HTML pages over the WWW.

4. global learning theories and approaches

4.1. do you know any of the people mentioned in the diagrams:

4.1.1. Skinner NO

4.1.2. Piaget NO

4.1.3. Papert NO

4.1.4. Illich NO

4.1.5. Vygotsky NO

4.1.6. Dewey NO

4.1.7. ignore Taylor

4.2. select one of the six

4.2.1. in case you know something ‡ write a paragraph what she/he has contributed to a deeper understanding of learning?

4.2.2. in case you do not know something, find out something about her/him ‡ write a paragraph what she/he has contributed to a deeper understanding of learning?

It seems that Skinner based his system of learning off the theory of “operant conditioning.” Operant conditioning consists of giving an operant a reinforcer as too cause the operant to repeat or not repeat a certain behavior in the future. This deepens our understanding of learning because it allows us to see that in order for an organism to effectively learn, they need a reinforcer or consequence affecting their actions. This is what I got from reading the article found at http://www.ship.edu/~cgboeree/skinner.html.

5. identify one website (and mention the URL) which you consider interesting and relevant for “learning”! Write a one paragra

I’d say that www.google.com is a very good website for learning because it allows for the retrieval of useful information when needed. You can also use google to find forums or message boards of a particular topic to post information and collaborate with others. Other people who use google can even search for forums or info and be directed to a sight of your own which also shows collaboration.