7 Things needed for successful online learning

I have been a 'student' of online learning now for about 12 years.  Over the years the 'audience' has broadened to encompass primary to tertiary students.  Part of this is the availability of platforms to facilitate asynchronous communication.  The tools are there, the connections are building BUT are we leading our students into being successful.  This article talks about the seven things needed to be successful....are we encouraging this in face-to-face classrooms in the younger years so they will be successful as the students grows and the availability grows?

See the article at:
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/digital-learning-seven-tips-heather-wolpert-gawron

A summary of the attributes is below

1. You have to have a sense of self.
2. You need to be able to manage your time wisely.    
3. You have GOT to know how to collaborate.    
4. You need to be able to set goals for yourself.    
5. You need to communicate well in writing.    
6. You must follow the community norms.    
7. You must be your own advocate.  

Social media more addictive than tobacco

Now here is an article that is not in my normal keeping of promoting technology use!  BUT it is in keeping with the ethical and responsible use of technology and our role as teachers to assist students (?and their families?) to manage things....

"Results of a new study published in the journal Psychological Science confirm what you've claimed for years: checking email and social media is more addictive than cigarettes and alcohol."

Questions arise....how do we assist students to manage this? 
What implications are there when we blur the boundaries between home/school  personal/business?
Personally I try and quarantine the two quite strictly, but I still find times when I break my own rules!

Read more and the full article at:
http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/02/07/3424150.htm

Five K-12 Elearning Trends

This article from the THE Journal has surveyed a variety of academics to compile a list of trends around digital learning in K-12 education.  Interestingly....we have wireless facilities in our schools and are moving to seamless movement between schools and offices; a Learning Mangement System is on the horizon and we are using our first online delivery methods for teacher PD.  Three of the five trends listed....
They list the following 5 trends as
Cutting the Wires: More Mobile LearningLearning from a Distance: An Upswing in Online Instruction
Social Awareness: More Facebooking and Twittering
Getting a Grip: More Learning Management Systems
Leading the Charge: Teacher-Led 1:1 Implementations

Read more at:
http://thejournal.com/Articles/2012/02/02/5-K12-E-Learning-Trends.aspx?Page=1