Ian Squire : AFLF Elearning Innovations Case Study

Hot off the press is Ian’s excellent Adobe Presenter recording presentation on the use of Moodle and other connected learning ideas as part of his E-learning Innovations project journey.

You can find out some more things regarding the Elearning Innovations projects via the wikispace project page list.

This and many other projects this year are pushing the boundaries on whats possible to be employed with engaging clients from diverse backgrounds and often very differing workplace learning experiences.

Making Links 2008

Abstract

Socio-global participatory online platforms have positively put pressure on Australia’s educational reform agenda to embrace new ways of working in the 21st century. The tension between policy and this networked learning pedagogy is also causing large organisations to look more seriously at the potential these networked learning technologies have for educators and more importantly students.

This presentation / paper will examine the behaviours and socio-political constructs that have contributed to “banning and ignoring” the use of social networking technologies in the education and broader community context, juxtaposed with success stories from those who have forged a way forward with careful and balanced approachs to very real dangers such protectionist agendas seek to highlight. The nexus between where social media intersects with education organisation pedagogy and the resultant collusion to exclusion cycle that occurs as a result of trying to “control” such seemingly non-linear human communication is part of the digital education (evolution) revolution debates nationally and internationally.

This presentation also invites participants to consider ongoing interaction with academic & social research findings by Danah Boyd( America),Tanya Notley (Australia), Janet Hawtin (Australia) and Leigh Blackall (New Zealand), using the New Media Consortium’s 2008 (NMC) ‘New Horizon’ report as a spring board for discussion.

Making Links site

Just In Time ( Education )

On Friday of this week I was meant to be involved with a group of people presenting at the 2008 Innovation Showcase “transforming Learning Through Innovation” being held at the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre by Macro-Dimensions.

That means……I attempted to be. The image above elludes to what occured.

I arrived at “work” at 7.10am ( TAFE NSW ICVET ) in the morning to be totally prepared for both this presentation and another online as part of the SIT “Facilitating Online” workshops with teachers and other staff. True to form the slide share in Adobe Connect went wonky and I was forced yet again to run an impromtu range of activities which now in hindsight will markedly shift the way I’ll conduct the next three sessions.

Here is the presentation that I was hoping I could use;

With a shocking cold and feeling like something from an alien planet I soldiered on.

At 12.00 AM with 30 minutes to go till the next presentation I logged into the Elluminate room which usually gives you about 20 mins of run-in time. I encountered the dreaded logged out, blocked, not accessible message which frustrates the beep out of me. It’s just ridiculous that sitting in the middle of the AFLF National manangement arena that this application is blocked or not accessible particularly considering that it is the core platform used for web conferencing communication for the Framework.

Saves on lots of plane flights. However…..thats not the focus of this post.

I dont want to dwell on what didnt happen rather what did. It occured to me that even though I knew I was going to miss the session and also that there was no time to duck back to the house I was staying at to get connected and to get in so, time to be inventive.

I logged back into Adobe Connect. Set a new room with the title of the event and proceeded to record myself during the exact time when I ws meant to be live elsewhere. I may not have been able to attend but perhaps my recording can be forwarded to those involved and in effect become a usable resource for those teachers attending…..over and over again.

You can access the recording here - http://webconf.det.nsw.edu.au/p72771278/

Just goes to show that despite not having access to the session I was still able to contribute. I really appreciate being included Carole and I hope that next time I’ll be accessing this from my superfast connection here in Orange NSW Australia.

Teachers must be so disenchanted with innovators who show things happening with apparent ease then encounter things like this which can be a real turnoff. It’s a real challenge in this day and age to access things which have a marked effect on what we were once doing that consumed so much more energy to accomplish. On the other hand, this “just-in-time” education mode is bringing new dimensions to the learning landscape….so much richer and relevant in this digital age that some would say is amidst a revolution.

Incidently, it’s just started snowing outside. Brrrrrrrrrrr.

Knowledge Bank

Next week I’ll be presenting 5 slides in as many minutes to a group of hungry teachers in Victoria at the invitation of Carole McCulloch … for the “2008 Innovation Showcase - Transforming Learning through Innovation - Friday, 16 May 2008 – Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre, Audstralia…“

You can download the Powerpoint slide here - PPT

You can download the Powerpoint show here - PPS

AFLF Induction Day

Today was bright and sunny here in Orange, NSW Australia.

I went to the lake and we had a family picnic.

I came home and constructed my presentation for the upcoming Australian Flexible Learning Framework presentation in Sydney - Induction Day involving Kim Cofino, Regan Harding, Carole McCulloch and myself.