Ernest Righetti High School teacher David Preston recently became the first American high school teacher to present to the Royal Geographical Society since it was founded in 1830.
Preston joined forces with Cal Poly architecture professor Mark Cabrinha and gave a lecture at the society’s annual meeting at the Imperial College in London on Learning Networks: Accelerating Creativity through the Entanglement of Social Interaction, Constructed Artifacts, and Dynamic Environments. More than 1,000 people attended the conference.
The joint presentation focused on open source learning and how digital networks are changing the learning environment, creating a new sense of geography, relationships, and learning dimensions. Preston uses the open source learning model to engage students to collaborate, innovate, and build a network. The teaching model enables students to create educational value beyond the classroom through the use of technology and social media.
“Digital social networks have become increasingly important to learners because they provide a place to interact that we no longer have in physical space,” Preston said in a press release. “In today’s world, the stakes are high. Learners, their families, and their schools are struggling to adapt. Technology alone isn’t the answer, but it’s an increasingly important part of our culture, and our students are using it to create competitive advantages.”
This article appears in Sep 25 – Oct 2, 2014.