Play for Real : Get Out Otherwise.

Breakout : Rose Grozdanic and Alex Hayes - FLNW - Wellington.

With response to About Those Redundant Teachers Alex !…….

Quote : gwegner

> What the teaching workforce looks like in the classroom as a whole dictates the typical experience of our students < href="http://static.flickr.com/80/255551990_9bf08c3e24.jpg?v=0"> quiet conversations at the back of the room contesting others views on this dont cease. It means I simply listen quietly and then contextualise why fear rises in my soul and what to do of it.

Your acheievements as an individual are fanatastic Graham - you are a committed and great educator Graham and one of the more open educators that i know of….

My experience here, having endured an ego-whiplashing in New Zealand, is that my conceptions of what it was to paint a picture for others of my learners ‘classroom’ is remarkably different to that of your own. Other paint theirs using the most remarkable filters and yet they say nothing of their students nor do they evidence anything other than well paid holidays.

Others speak of where they are going and others still drag it in kicking and screaming for interrogation. What I’ve discovered over the last week or so is that the classroom is merely an architectural edifice within which we contain experience….that our attempts to become real to our students requires more than touting how well we have done rather admit that which we are struggling with…….which you do Graham….thank god.

What I’ve also discovered in the last week is that despite the immense diversity of our merry band of elearning un-learners, we all agreed on one thing.

To play.

That was the moment when it became “real ” ……if only momentarily.

A real experience paints a true picture and dosent have to involve faces. A classroom needs a timetable that confuses those who seek to be guided by it.

Thank ( you ) : Groups / Networks

Spot the banana.

Whether it’s a group or a network makes no difference to me. You’ll either include me or reject me and as we all act as individuals…..to a point ….then all else in between is a bonus.

Personally i dont give a damn for the distinction. What a waste of time to think of fruit as meat.

After a week on the travelling roadshow never have I in the last decade felt so alive. I’m exhausted and exhilirated all in the same breath.

Nor have I seen such extremes of human behaviour - tears, tantrums, silences, confusion…… tiredness and pyschosis aside……

The crash of ego’s, the union of semantics, the tales, stories, lies and other bullshit that threatened to tear apart this ‘group’ for want of a better term, turned out to be the most powerful of all acknowledged differences that bring groups into networks or perhaps in this instance finally pulled the conversation out of a threaded didactic / diatribe / dialectic.

And how more apt that when reduced to play that the audience saw a union of thought……if only for an instant.

Hats off to;

• Stephen Downes for daring to disagree with me over a beer that Lost Highway by David Lynch is the best cinematic depiction of human condition yet
• Rose Grozdanic for taking her tears outside….something I failed to achieve…..
• Barbara Dieu for her beautiful and serene stories of family, friends and foes
• Leigh Blackall for attemting to keep up with my drinking prowess and taking this whole gig on in the second place
• Conrad Glogowski for admitting to enjoying being kicked out high school so that he could study more for his exams
• John Eyles for turning his home over to a band ( of educational misfits some would have us believe ) and expecting it not to get trashed
• Mistisa for smiling and listening and being present to an otherwise rabble babble ( at times )

…but most of all , a massive and continued thankyou for those who felt compelled to engage / disengage in this discussion of what it might mean to be positively working towards a future in a networked and mobile world.

The pedagogy of the compressed was my highlight and the ego-tripping ( me included ) tantrums my low-light.

Thanks Teemu - I now reflect on my days thrashing to MotorHead differently. Thanks Marg - your a mobile magician you

Grapes.

We are all a bunch of grapes.

Ps. See you all in Hong Kong / Shanghai in a years time.

Powerhouse: PYT

http://www.pyt.com.au/

Anne Paterson dropped this one in for consideration. Any feedback would be appreciated

The Future of Learning in a Networked World: Skype Interview

Interview with Alex Hayes, Leigh Blackall, Jo kay, Konrad Glogowski, & Sean Fitzgerald @ FLNW by Stephan Ridgway, 27 September 2006

Download the MP3 file (29:10 Min 11.6 Meg)

image by mobology

Synopsis:

Stephan Ridgway (Sydney) interviews Alex Hayes, Leigh Blackall, Jo kay, Konrad Glogowski, & Sean Fitzgerald on skype attending the The Future of Learning in a Networked World unconference in New Zealand.

Links Relevant to the podcast:

The Future of Learning in a Networked World wiki

The Future of Learning in a Networked World blog

Technorati tags: vte talo flnw clcommunity web2.0 networkedlearning

Conrad : Tale of Teachers

The highlight of my ( our ? ) day here in Wellington at eFest06 goes to Conrad Glogowski

The story goes like this.

Conrad was at school, in class, thoroughly distracted, reading a book under his desk while his teacher ranted on to the class of students about mathematical possibilities, attempting to ellucidate a concept in a thoroughly didactic manner.

Noticing Conrad was not paying any attention, Conrad was summoned to answer a question by the teacher…………..on the spot. The question asked was;

” If I have a cupboard full of shoes…….sixty pairs to be exact…..and the cupboard is in complete darkness and the shoes are in a big mixed unsorted pile, what is the mathematical probability of picking out of that pile of shoes the exact two pair of shoes with matching colours, size and style.

Pregnant pause.

The whole class are poised. Conrad thinks for a moment and replies knowing full well that any answer except the correct one will have him in detention for that afternoon. The students wait with baited breath.

He answers.

” 100 percent “

The teacher looks at him confounded and rather astounded. The students half giggle in embaressment. Conrad shifts in his seat.

The teacher replies.

“How do you come up with such a finding Glogowski ? “

Conrad replies.

“Well………turn the light on”.

The class bursts into a uproar after a deadly moment of silence.

My take on Conrad’s story is that we are often (as teachers ) so busily buried in seeking answers and expounding truths, and impressing others with rants of rage that we cease to acknowledge the power of simplicity and cogent truth.

Nothing is so complicated that we cant turn our own light switch on or at least let students do so and admit our own failure to engage them with solid reason.

In fact, in this age of blended ( picture a blender ) online delivery modalities it perhaps begs the question of where on earth our sense of reason and commonsense has gone to.

This is further propounded when we reflect on the plethora of mistakes and ridiculous waste of funding that occurs simply because educational organisations cant hear the trees falling in the forest because of the thunderous applause for those who claim that they are the giants in the forest.

Nine times out of ten learners seek answers from educators not to relieve the boredom of questions rather to escape the position of unheard.

How simple the process for learning would be if only we gave the learners access to times where we listened rather than rant…………and time to de-construct the clock.

Barbara and Karen

Two great people. Two great webheads

We Are Not Afraid : RPL

So…..ideas for mobile learning ecologies using networked mobile servicing…..as discussed in Breeze this morning with Carole McCulloch, Jo Fuller and co……

Web 2.0 World : Opinion, Coherence.

[ After all, when you are reading text, it takes a lot of skill to express opinion clearly and coherently in the Web 2.0 world. ]

Another beautifully crafted summary / comment from Graham Wegner. Sums it up for me nicely. Perhaps that’s why we ( et. al ) are examining the context for ‘reading’ via different visual and auditory liturgical.

Reminds me of a Lecturer who commented that the main literacy we possess is that of the olfactory sense. I’m guilty of not engaging my learners at times using all the clues that they inherently embody.

GloryFour

……and then we met these guys…..fantastic……on the fly………….straight recording off the hip. Talked for two minutes ….straight into Podomatic….permissions ……distributed.

Follows on from what Stephen Downes was saying yesterday. I kind of digg small groups though….makes it real somewhat.

Time to reflect.

Teaching Is Redundant : Trashing the Classroom

Something was up with Graham Wegner’s blog this evening so I’ve posted this here as it may be of interest to those seeking grenades to lob into other educational salad pots.

Good call Graham…..thanks for the reply.

“…. > I think moving forward unfortunately depends so much more on the teaching workforce than any dynamic and adaptive qualities of the students we teach.<

Jeepers Graham.

Whether it was a crazy night for you or TSOF effected, I really dont get where that line above came from. In fact my thoughts on this spurned me onto coin in my blog today ;

” Students seek not to be taught rather to be assessed. Learners seek ways to better get to know you, the educator, as the content you deliver is often of little consequence to their learning”.

I’d follow that up now with ” to suppose that students give a toss is to imbue your perception with the very divides that seperated you from your learners in the first place. The essence of what a learner seeks is not what time to learn rather the opportunity to de-construct the clock and reasemble it so it works for them “

Leigh Blackall purports that teaching is dead. No wonder.

Stephen Downes expresses a disinterest in investing in futures which are unsustainable - architecture, humans and holidays for humans.

Arti hides his/her head in a paper bag…..I would too if I could find a bag without a bulls eye on it.

We all have views and mine ( often deemed dyslexic and dysfunctional ) is that students are incredibly adaptive and given dynamic learning experiences filter out the teacher and seek more of an educator - the reason we sought, were granted and continue to pursue the socialisation of our own children.

When I graduated from university in 1994, then 1996, then 1998 and then finally ( hmmm….probably better finish that Doctorate one day ) I reflected sitting under a large gum tree at Curtin University why on earth I’d done so.

At this point I’m saying it was because as a learner I sought out that type of socialisation. I was disruptive, creative, bored shitless at times and above all happy to get to know the person in my lecturer, jumping the hoops to better understand how the circus worked.

I knew eventually I’d have to de-school myself and it seems the time is fast approaching.

Your “job” Graham, in my estimation is to impart that which you are passionate about, to engage with your learners as one yourself, to build bridges over the walls that would otherwise divide you from where they are at as opposed to where you are at.

Two decades later I’m saying that I do give a god-dang lot to ensuring that I’m framing as many moments as possible with a cloak of positive possibility with my learners of all ages and from all walks of life.

We control the e-learning experience in my estimation because it is seemingly impossible for educational organisations to do anything else but wield their staff and belt any life out of the timetable.

Buy ins ? I care not to monetise the lack of care that management and other ivory carvers demand to be force fed currency of information through.

Better we start from scratch. Rip down the walls and graffiti the desks perhaps. At least it might resemble that someone lives in there.

What the hell are we in for in this networked learning world if we cant ensure our learners any sustainable e-learning ecology ? Communication was easier and healthier when we didnt even know what a dial-up handshake sounded like.

I dont support the notion that teaching is dead but upon further reflection might be persuaded to believe that teachers are dead.

Teachers and I’m one of them, are like verbs. We should always be in action.

And for some other forceful terminology ……power-point , work-force…….it’s any wonder that our ‘visions’ that you speak of are but nightmares with such redundant associatives.

Lest we forget.

Enamoured : Discussions, Decisions and Dialects

Photo : Stephen Downes

My quote for the day ” Students seek not to be taught rather to be assessed. Learners seek ways to better get to know you, as the content you deliver is of little consequence to their learning”.

Prior to leaving Sydney I caught up with Stephan Ridgway in Sydney and we both sought access to this occasion - this celebration and interrogation of where we are with respect to web 2.0 and the new and emergent communication modes for both educators and learners.

Contrary to Michale C’s comments re: the podcasts quality and purchase power I’ve decided to publish it…if only to indicate our enthusiasm to engage with such an event. Your comments are not neccesarily needed

And on a reflective note here’s my musings on the day.

I dont hate small groups. They have their place particularly for those unfamiliar in a audience or reserved in their ability to converse in a chaotic shared conversation context.

Nor do I think that dis-organised necessarily means unproductive nor disrespectful. In fact, the key discussion filters today ran hot on the emotional filters ( probably mediated and derivative a little of the day before ) and for that I believe it was a richer and more relevant forum for examining the risks inherent with embracing an open, distributive and networked world for teachers and other less than revered terminology - something we are all moving into being subject to.

Stephen Downes spoke of assessment, learner ecospheres, attitudes to web based publication tools, disaggregation of content and effectively synthesised all peoples thoughts into the cool pic above. Stephens ability to provoke thinking in such assembled forums is as potent as his ability to engage readers in OLDaily.

Leigh Blackall reiterated ‘teaching is dead’ and Wiki courseware and interative learning domains feature heavily in his discussion points and I’m suprised/ happy / observant that the reactive elements of the group were noticably missing. Leigh , as always stands up to criticism with a stead fast belief in seeking ways to engage learners and lacked the super-stardom ( thank god ) that other stage-primadonas adopt faced with adversity.

Rose G went all out and put her soul on the line bringing what would have otherwise descended into stale-mating ( occasionally) back into the picture. Rose has an amazing way of bringing all audiences into an inclusive sharing environment and should be commended and given bravery medals for her efforts.

Steven Parker ….well…..his Blip.TV productions will attest to the value of such discussions and un-conferenced forums.

Konrad Glogowski just blew me away with his recounts and anecdotes all day long…what a legend Conrad has a way of framing everything in the positive possibility and this makes for such a cool way of contextualising learning using new and emergent technologies with respect for the learners concerns, the rights management process for organisations seeking buy-in for the use of such technologies in their organisational modality of …..delivery, dissemination of knowledge and heaven forbid teaching 1 > 35.

John Eyles sat quietly today…probably somewhat shellshocked at the trashing we gave his network connections yesterday at his beautiful home over at Waiheike Isalnd.

Noticably absent were a number of other FLNW speakers with some like Teemu already on his way to Manila. Rather than be accused of ranting without reason why not strike out and discover where these people are at yourself…….in the nicest possible way.

Well…..I’m feeling a litlle washed so will retire this with some links to other good things coming up and other things past.

Stephen Downes - CanadaStephen is perhaps best known for his daily research newsletter, OLDaily (short for Online Learning Daily), which reaches thousands of readers across Canada and around the world. His work also includes the development of educational content syndication systems such as Edu_RSS and DLORN along and the design of a digital rights management system for learning resources. Stephen is also frequently to be found the road giving seminars and lectures on the field of online learning, including the notable Buntine Oration delivered in Perth, Australia, in October, 2004.

Konrad Glogowski - CanadaPhD candidate at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. His thesis focuses on the use of blogging communities in education. His blog, Blog of Proximal Development, vocalizes his thoughts on this subject and comments on the impact that blogging and blogging communities are having in education.

Teemu Leinonen - FinlandTeemu Leinonen holds over a decade of experience in the field of research and development of web-based learning. His areas of interest and expertise covers design for learning, computer supported collaborative learning (CSCL), online cooperation, learning software design, educational planning and educational politics. Since 1998 Teemu has led Learning Environments research group of the Media Lab, University of Art and Design Helsinki. The research group has coordinated research and development projects, funded by The European Commission in the Information Society Technologies (IST) framework, the National Technology Agency of Finland (TEKES), the Nordic Council of Ministers and the UNESCO. Selected projects: MobilED audio wiki; LeMill - Do it yourself learning resource repository; Fle3 Lerning environment for collaborative knowledge building and jamming; UNESCO YDC - Young Dgital Creators Educators’ KIT.

Stewart Cheifet - USAStewart Cheifet is the Director of Collections for the Internet Archive, based in San Francisco. In this capacity he is responsible for all movies, videos, television programs, music, lectures, radio programs, educational courseware, and software collections. The Internet Archive is working to prevent the Internet — a new medium with major historical significance — and other “born-digital” materials from disappearing into the past. Collaborating with institutions including the Library of Congress and the Smithsonian, we are working to preserve a record for generations to come.

Barbara Dieu - BrazilBee is an EFL teacher and coordinator of the Foreign Language Dept at the Franco-Brazilian school in Sao Paulo. She has organized and managed a number of international projects online involving different schools and institutions worldwide. She is also Coordinator of the Braz-Tesol EduTech SIG, member of Tesol TAC (Technology Advisory Committee) and belongs to many national and international communities of practice like Webheads in Action, Cyberlangues, Vivência Pedagógica and CiO’s em Educação. Her most recent collaboration is Dekita.org, a community of people dedicated to promoting open communication in language learning. Michael Coghlan - AustraliaMichael Coghlan works as an online facilitator for TAFE in South Australia, and the eLearning Networks of the Australian Flexible Learning Framework. His background is in English as a Second Language (ESL) teaching, and he began teaching online in 1997. A founding member of the Webheads community, Michael has presented at many national and international conferences, and is a skilled MVP (Multiple Venue Presentation) facilitator – presenting to face to face and online audiences simultaneously . His particular interests are webcasting, the use of web-based voice technologies, social software/networked learning, and the impact of the Internet on education and society.

Steven Parker - AustraliaSteven Parker works for the Teaching and Learning Resource Unit at the Wollongong Campus of TAFE NSW, Australia. He is an Irish/Australian passionate about network learning, web2.0 and working with and fostering the creativity of students to create and share their own resources, achieve their learning outcomes and form their own personal learning networks. He is currently helping to build online communities and networks of teachers and learners from various trades and occupations. Steven has so far built a Tourism and Hospitality Education Network which supports teachers and trainers in that field to learn and employ Web2.0 technologies in their practice.

Leigh Blackall - New ZealandLeigh Blackall works for the Otago Polytechnic in Educational Development. He has helped organise this conference and will be tagging, blogging and podcasting along to make sure everyone stays rowdy and stirs up trouble. Leigh is known in the group for his blog Teach and Learn Online and his work developing various resources to help people understand and use more of the socially networked Internet. An advocate for networked learning, holistic learning, life based learning and deschooling, leigh looks to ways of incorporating more of life’s everyday experiences into educational practices - or is it the other way round?

Rose G - AustraliaRose has broad experience in the areas of professional development and flexible learning including stints as training manager at OTEN, project officer with Learnscope and project manager of the Australian Flexible Learning Community. She is currently consulting as a learning and development specialist to the University of Ballarat and has been an enthusiastic member of TALO eGroup since its inception.

Jo Kay - AustraliaJo works in Educational Technology, providing technical support, professional development and elearning resource development services at the Teaching and Learning Resource Unit, TAFE NSW - Illawarra Institute. Her interests include network learning, online education, web culture, digital arts, identity and performance arts. Jo’s current research focus is on Web 2.0, Mobile Learning and Virtual worlds and the possibilities these new technologies offer to us all. Check out Jo’s blog or virtual worlds explorations for more info on her work.

Sean FitzGerald - AustraliaSean is an independent researcher, consultant and presenter with a passion for emerging technologies and their impact upon society. In recent years his professional focus has been on Web 2.0 technologies and social software and their impact on teaching and learning. He has been involved with many LearnScope and E-learning Networks projects for the Australian Flexible Learning Network supporting educators experimenting with emerging tools and learning models. His current interest is in exploring the potential and impact of 3D virtual worlds, and has been lately spending way to much time and having way too much fun in Second Life! Sean is also co-presenter of the Casting the Net Podcast

Alex Hayes - AustraliaAlex works with the Australian Flexible Learning Framework, NSW Learnscope Team ( Sydney ) as a Project Officer. Alex has a varied and extensive education background ( Justice, Welfare, [Dis]Abilities) mixed with an array of artistic pursuits incorporating new and emergent technologies. As a m-learning advocate, Alex moblogs his way through life mixing lo-fi conversations, flexible learning co-ordination and associated past-times with research and applied application of social softwares for educational re-purposing. Between times Alex unravels the Australian VTE scene with Stephan Ridgway and composes mixed-leet-poetics for international settings.

John Eyles - New Zealand(organising the Waiheke Island stop-over on 24th September and part of Auckland meet on 25th)Dr Howard Scott - I support this initiative and have enjoyed viewing it from Southern China where I am currently photographing aspects of sustainable development. email: howard@iconz.co.nz Bronwyn Hegarty - New Zealand

Bronwyn has been assisting Leigh to organise the event, in particular the Dunedin leg and funding. Her claim to fame is that she taught herself to use a computer on an Apple Classic way back in 1987, was in the first wave of eLearners at OP, and one of the recipients of a Flexible Learning Leader in New Zealand (FLLinNZ) award. Bronwyn now works with Leigh Blackall and Terry Marler as a developer in the Otago Polytechnic Educational Development Centre. Two projects have kept her busy recently: online information literacy modules, and self-efficacy and staff development in eLearning. Bronwyn is currently exploring the use of reflective strategies in teacher education as part of a Doctorate.

Dawn Coburn - New ZealandDawn is a teacher who returned to live in Dunedin seven years ago. In her spare time you will often find her swinging a racquet on a badminton or tennis court. Dawn has various ICT roles at Dunedin College of Education as well as teaching curriculum Technology. She has taught and learned online for many years. Resource creation is a long standing interest. At present Dawn is involved with Bronwyn and others in the development of online learning modules for Information Literacy. Her current doctoral study “Gone Tomorrow?” addresses questions of transmission of culture and identity in relation to artefacts, such as photographs; with especial attention being given to the consequences of technological obsolescence, one child (or no child) families and digitisation.

Derek Wenmoth (keen to assist with the CHCH stop-over - lots to confirm yet) Marg O’Connell (will see you in Wellington from 25th Sept)Marg works as an educational designer at the Canberra Insitute of Technology (CIT), ACT. She is a member of the Flexible Learning Solutions team (FLS) who support teachers in their development of electronic learning and teaching. Marg hails from West Australia and has worked in tertiary and community education sectors, as well as TAFE. She was a Flexible Learning Leader in 2002. Marg keeps numerous blogs and uses wikis as part of her work with teachers and staff development, and facilitates the CIT Online Teacher Network (OTN). Marg is currently studying a Master of Education, looking into the field of Vocational and Technical Education (VTE) research, its impact on the sector and on VTE teachers, and asking can social software enable a ‘democratisation’ of VTE research in an everchanging networked world? Mark Northover - AUT UniversityMark has been involved in the support of flexible and e-learning for about ten years, and is currently manager of FL services at AUT. He has been a frequent contributor at ASCILITE conferences, and was a FLLinNZ member of the second cohort. He is currently most interested in providing FL systems and opportunities that support teaching staff (with varying degrees of IT literacy) and encourage student collaboration. Mark is helping to organise the Auckland event, which will be held at the AUT city campus on Monday September 25.

Stanley Frielick - New ZealandStanley is Director of Flexible Learning at NorthTec (and is also manager of the Flexible Learning Leaders in NZ (FLLinNZ) project for 2006-07). He’s been at NorthTec for two years - helping to build (from scratch) an infrastructure and development process for flexible and distributed learning across the Northland region. Previously he was at the Centre for Professional Development at the University of Auckland where he completed a PhD and coordinated the Teaching Learning Research programme. He is originally from South Africa where he had an eclectic career - lecturer in academic development, lecturer in African and Comparative Literature, and English teacher in secondary schools. Stanley has wide-ranging research interests in (d)e-learning, ecological approaches to teaching/learning, complexity science, and higher education theory. He is organising the Northland leg of the tour and the FLLinNZ meeting with the FLNW group at eFest.

Russell Butson - New ZealandRussell is a lecturer in higher education at the University of Otago. His background includes teaching and learning across mixed ages in private and public schools, community based training and higher education. He is particularly interested in more engaging, collaborative learning experiences that are consistent with the idealism, imagination and expectations of learners within higher education. This requires scrutiny of the nature of the mechanisms that have formed our educational system, and examination of whether or not there is another angle to the story or another way to address education.

Artichoke - New Zealand Artichoke is an edublogger, and Pam is a teacher. Arti’ works on laughter and irreverent conversation with imaginary friends, and suffers from a stuck bold key. Pam works as a teaching and learning consultant with schools and teachers across New Zealand on curriculum alignment, ict and thinking. Arti’ and Pam were only persuaded to join the tour in Dunedin when RoseG described it as “running away to join the circus”.

Anne Elliot - New ZealandBreaking with apparent tradition, I will use my own voice. I am a doctoral candidate at Massey and this semester also teaching a Internet-based paper about Internet-based learning at the Faculty of Education at Otago, doing both from my home in Middlemarch - approximately where Wednesday’s train trip ends. I am a primary teacher, have worked in teacher education and in educational research on ICT. My doctoral thesis investigates the experiences with ICT by New Zealand beginning teachers, a topic about which there is a dearth of information. Although easily swayed by “cool” technologies, I attempt to maintain a critical perspective on ICT in education - a dissident voice in the celebratory discourse.

Glen Davies New ZealandHoping to catch up with the circus on Thursday when they hit Chirstchurch, I will follow Anne - always feel uncomfortable talking about myself in the third person. I have been involved in online learning application development at the Christchurch College of Education for the past 6 or 7 years - mainly on Interact, but various other projects as well … My pet hate is making students upload pointless asssignments to locked LMS class sites that get zipped up and archived when the course has finished and a grade has been assigned - if that isn’t a stupid and pointless use of the web I don’t know what is

Brent Simpson, Waiheke/AucklandI am currently an interface/interaction designer on the eXe Project an Open Source authoring tool for eLearning. I live on Waiheke Island so will catch up with this contemporary ‘dog and pony show’ over there. I have been entwining myself in the intersections of learning and technology for over 10 years now. I was an early instigator of Open Content having released the Texas Information Literacy Tutorial (TILT) under Wiley’s Open Publication License (before there was a CC). TILT has been modified and installed in 100 institutions worldwide and translated into 4 languages.

Heidi Klum : When The Shoe Fits

So……..as I was saying…..should we be a little worried about the state of play in the US when Heidi Klum becomes an imbedded mascot feature on the front end of RateMyTeachers.com

Party Politics : FLNW : Magicians , Magic and Mayhem.

How does one consider what the Future of Learning in a Networked World might look like tommorow or indeed the day after ? Are you also battling the institutional blues and seeking more than one way to do away with the draconian dictates of your not-so-squeezy ICT Volkswagen wagon ? Why not un-conference your colleagues and camp with them, eat from the same plate and share the same toothbrush to get better connected ?

Yup……..I’m happy. Amidst academic landmines the future of learning in a networked world is a most enticing proposition - afterall….look what engaging in this conversation has cost me……an arm and a leg ……what’s going down here is making my mind reel.

It’s 1:06 AM and Sparker’s retired to a well earned nap till the sun hits the curtains this morning. Argued out with spats and spits and all things geekified I’ve have now left the jazz, cigarettes and pale ale for the safety of a well earned rest in proceedings here at the FLNW.

With half a pound of steak in my gullet and a pound of flesh torn from my ego I’m still standing amidst other carnage too gory to describe…..ok……just a little more.

The un-conference is a week old and as Leigh Blackall described it, ” It’s any wonder that with ten people send down the river to camp that at least nine are coming back”.

Lack of connections ( electronica ) has had a marked effect on those needing solace in their virtual dominions . Second Life convertee’s escaped the Lodge at Waihieke this morning and John Eyle’s played gracious host to a bunch of hungry, grumpy and unwashed connectivists and for this we thank him sincerely. A Skypecast and an Elluminate session washed down at afternoon tea left us ready to taxi down to the wharf and muse on a publication structure suprisingly articulated before the talking had lead to more talking.

Fat assed politics aside it’s interesting to note that when the permeance and pervasive / invasive mobile communication technologies were introduced to this space that the power differential became the hot ticket - decisions were tossed around at to what constitutes whats and whether we should flick-it. Privacy, copyright, ethics, emotions and lack of information has made for an interesting time here in the land of Black Taxi’s.

The un-conferenced, networked and un-connected ( sporadic ) meet and greet from folk from all walks of the street has me re-inspired. Teemu is the bomb.

More on that conversation later.

Psychosis is hitting in. How so ?

I’m sure I saw someone sitting opposite me with long flowing grey hair a moment ago.

TLNW: Workshop 6

NSW Learnscope project Teaching & Learning in a Networked World.
Guest presenter - Paula Williams (Teaching & Learning Development Unit, OTEN), “mLearing in education” Friday 15th Sept. 2006

Summary: Paula Williams presented to the team on web2.0 and the mobile network and how as educators we might use networked mobile devices to facilitate student centred learning.

image : sridgway

Download the MP3 file - 44:17 Min 10.1 Mb

Links Relevant to the podcast:

TLNW session wiki page

Technorati tags: aflf vte nswlearnscope nswlearnscope06 clcommunity web2.0 networkedlearning mlearning

Graham Wegner : SA Educator

Alex Hayes speaks with Graham Wegner of mlearning in the primary school sector and the implications that teaching generation Z with new and emergent technologies might have now and in the near future.

Download the MP3 file

Skype Interview : Alex Hayes

Skype Interview : Alex Hayes

Alex Hayes speaks with Stephan Ridgway of the upcoming TALO 2006 : Future Of Learning In A Networked World ‘conference’ occuring through and all over New Zealand over the next few weeks.

image : ahayes

Download the MP3 file - 17:25 mins - 4 MBS.

Links Relevant to the podcast:

FLNW wiki , FLNW blog , FLNW walk , Flickr networked learning

Technorati tags: flnw vte talo networkedlearning web2.0

Amazing People

My boss - Robyn , her husband - Alex and their youngest son Jordie.

Awesome people !

David Muir

Here’s what David Muir’s saying over at del.icio.us;

• academics
• accessibility
• alannovember
• ambigram
• animation
• apa
• Apple
• archive
• audiobooks
• bibliography
• blog
• bloglines
• blogs
• bookmarks
• children
• citation
• Communicate.06
• communication
• Communications.06
• community
• connectivism
• control
• copyright
• creativecommons
• curriculum
• cyber_safety
• DavidWarlick
• del.icio.us
• digital
• digitalvideo
• e-portfolio
• education
• elearning
• essay
• evaluation
• ewanmcintosh
• flash
• flickr
• folksonomy
• fun
• games
• georgesiemens
• google
• humor
• ICT
• ictLecture2
• identity
• image
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The Social Web

I’ve heard in the past people saying that bloggers should refrain from blogging when their either tired, emotional or angry / upset.

Well……I’m all of the above and I havent eaten since this morning so this makes for a great combination. What I want to say wont really matter in the bigger scheme of things but I need a space to vent it or it’s going to add another notch to my cynical self.

When we create things we like to get feedback - to share them in my experience of life is the greatest thing that can occur. Locking them into possesion defranchises the process and ultimately dishonours the creation. Therefore, if you create something and then lock it behind a door it ultimately ceases to exist.

The same I think goes for web creations. The discussion should be up front and the content rightly so should be protected as an investment for the future or as a sustainable feature for ones self. No one denies that we need to be able to trade.

What I dont get is why people get greedy and secretive and shove every known part of their work behind closed doors expecting others to pay up, log in, invest, in something that ultimately is an unknown.

Take for instance a community of learners who collaboratively work on a project together, foster an idea, communicate about creation then meet in groups which preclude others when simply they could be networking the ‘other’. The social web is as crazy as anything I’ve ever encountered yet I’m determined to better understand how to share my thoughts, contribute where possible, open modes of communication and most of all improve my own perception of whats important, owned and MINE.

I suspect nothing is mine. It’s all yours and what I have ultimately goes nowhere with me.

See……I told you I was low in body sugar. Better have some dinner.