Alx Bal

At the DML conference in SF last week, a new model of learning called “connected learning” was introduced.  This work is based on extensive research led by Mimi Ito, cultural anthropologist at the University of California, Irvine, who specializes in youth and technology, and one of the principal investigators in the new Connected Learning Research Network (funded by the MacArthur Foundation’s Digital Media and Learning Initiative).

The core values of connected learning:

• Equity — when educational opportunity is available and accessible to all young people, it elevates the world we all live in.

• Full Participation — learning environments, communities, and civic life thrive when all members actively engage and contribute.

• Social connection — learning is meaningful when it is part of valued social relationships and shared practice, culture, and identity.

How do we achieve this?  By integrating the learning that occurs across three main areas for youth: their interests, their…