Connected Learners : implications for teaching in a connected world

This paper explores issues emerging in education as contemporary learners find more powerful alternatives to traditional classroom learning. Learning in the 21st century should be connected, engaged, relevant and challenging. 21st century learners are offered multiple ways to task. They can create weblogs and access people via SMS (short message service), send photos on mobile phones, communicate in chat rooms, author in collaborative online spaces, join multiple gaming strategies, access web authoring repositories and digital content. The opportunities for providing connectivity in learning environments are growing rapidly. Online communications provide easy access to information, knowledge and community. This revolution is changing the attitudes of teachers. Connecting is only the first step however, so a learning framework to support 21st century learners and examples of how it is used in classrooms is provided. This paper will explore some of the implications for teachers operating in a digital age.