IntelRag (intelrag.com) is the editor’s personal information, teachinng and research website, using public Online Open Learning (OOL) resources. There are no products or services offered for sale by IntelRag. Links-to websites or pages that present or include offers for products or services are NOT represented or offered by IntelRag.
Background:
Acknowledging traditional academic models were not sufficient to meet the varied needs of students and employers, IntelRag was designed as a portal linking the significant number of offerings by open public resources for education. Format of IntelRag will continue revision to address newly revealed information regarding the level of student accomplishments.
It is necessary for students in K-12 to learn and demonstrate competencies in subjects prior to pursuing advanced study. Traditional education models at the K-12 level appear to be challenging and achievement is short of desired goals. Student competencies at the K-12 level rank between 25th and 30th when tested against worldwide education systems, and China ranks in 1st place.
Direct interaction in groups with a teacher is the most desirable method for K-12 education. Online education is considered supplementary to classroom instruction. As a result of the ineffectiveness of education at the K-12 level, and in response to school closures, Microschools are growing in popularity.
At the college level, teachers and instructors provide lectures on a given subject and assign specific research to be pursued independently or in groups by students. As students progress to higher level classes, research can become a more significant part of the program of study.
NOTE: The belief that students can easily make up for lost learning is rarely correct.
Increasingly, traditional approaches at higher education where all students in a class study the exact same material have become limiting to student success. Many students in higher education have experience and interest in professions they work in now, yet they are required to prove they are intelligent, industrious, and can demonstrate competencies in areas of no interest to them.
IntelRag is an online open learning model bringing together options for both K-12 and higher education models in a flexible learning environment. Faculty, students and parents can access offerings by public educational schools, universities and organizations.
Note: Over time, traditional education models continue to follow structuring and content guidelines provided by national and state departments of education, and accrediting agencies. There is no easy solution that would provide increased variation in the mass education models. This situation has been recognized and acknowledged by both education and government. To assist in resolving this issue, both education and government are providing access to non-credit and low-cost programs. This is the area of focus of IntelRag.
Forward:
Realtime streaming media demonstrate differing opinions on current subjects of interest by their respective communities. Terms defining IntelRag are learning, research, intel, intelligence, news–media, and rag, an old term from the years of newspapers and printed media.
At any time, individuals, groups, and organizations may have differing opinions on a subject during research, or instruction, based on their knowledge and experience. Their opinions change over time. This process can be demonstrated by Tuckman’s stages of group development,
The United States and The World have been experiencing this concept since the beginning of time as we know it. Therefore nothing, except the possibility of hard sciences, may produce a mutually agreeable understanding. Even then, there is nothing sure about that.
Contributing to this complexity is the cycle of life. Much of what has been written, created, and experienced changes over time, and this may result in confrontation over the meaning of prior written words and documents.
Learning models form a continuum from:
- Information: Obtained from investigation, study, or instruction.
- Knowledge: The fact or condition of knowing something with familiarity gained through experience.
- Wisdom: The ability to discern inner qualities, relationships and insight.
Artifacts and records of past, present, and future endeavors in the arts, sciences . . . and history, are reference points for experiences that need to be understood and protected.
Many schools and organizations provide student and teacher resources including counseling, course syllabi, lesson plans, video presentations, and textbooks. The range of offerings extends from K12 through the Graduate level. Page banners and links lead to publicly offered subjects and research references in support of independent learning and do not indicate approval, accuracy, or endorsement of the contents.
IntelRag provides the ability to compare and evaluate differences between online open learning and traditional on-campus academic programs. Changes in technology enhance learning and sharing ideas and complete concepts between professionals and practitioners in an open environment.
Roadmap: Lifelong learning is pursued to qualify for initial job entry, advancement, career changes, and self-interests. Developments in digital technology from portable devices to desktop systems support individual learners and interactive groups allowing them to learn when and where it is convenient.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is used as a frequent reference because of the wide range of public online open learning resources provided by MIT.
Note: Images, photos, and videos are from Dreamstime.com, Bing.com, and YouTube.com. Twitter streams and images are provided by the Twitter search function. All schools and organizations linked-to own and are responsible for the content of their material. This site does not host third-party resources.
External Links: The footer at the bottom of the page contains links to external resources used during current and past research activities. They are an excellent starting point for reference data to support research activities.
Primary social media (program platforms and applications) utilized are:
Easily the most accessible and possibly the most commonly used content management system (CMS).
The strength of WordPress is in its quick installation and the massive user and developer community.
This versatility results in a vast array of plugins and enhancements for the platform.
Therefore, WordPress is the underlying “program” which additional social media “applications” will become an integral part of. (2015 Gartner CMS Report) Also review: WordPress Com and WordPress Org
XPro is a new name for TweetDeck, a powerful, real-time tool for people who use "X". XPro lets you manage multiple X accounts, monitor posts and reposts, create lists and collections, schedule posts, and more. Refer to the XPro banner on the CLASS eTOOLS page link for more information on how to use "X".
Editor: E.D. Wendt, Ph.D
edwendt@intelrag.com
Always a work in progress.