Edupunk : Oi Oi Oi !

…………………….

[ image : me in 2007 ]

It would seem our most illustrious educationalists are now engaged in a race to rhetoric to rid themselves of the web 2.0 moniker they so lovingly have coveted for so long ….for so little some would retort.

D’Arcy Norman threatens self immolation in a land of machines and Leigh Blackall quotes 1975 as being one of the best years in his short life, both it would seem  in their reference and abhorence to straight-edge geek-boys desiring dirt amongst tech-smarm and power hungry industrialised neck-bearded hegemonists.

Yet, on reflection, a trillion social bookmarks and three hundred billion lost passwords and associated personal information fields later, we now have a better picture of what we could perhaps should now be working away from…but how ?

Well, perhaps we could all get web 2.0 and 21st century ( finger down throat ) about it and address it as all good fcuking edu-mcationalists should in a list of ten ‘edupunk’ behaviours ( or considerations of reality ) that you think define our move away from reframing and bundling emerging technologies into cookie-cutter products with pre-defined application….

Here’s my ten;

1. Resolving The Identity Crisis - I now know who I dont know because of the technologies I find myself using day to day….what was my name again and who do you want me to be ?
2. Avoiding Robotic Gesticulations - The machine is in me
3. Head Banging For A Living - I’d shave my head and bang it only its all fallen out
4. Google Maps My Arse - I’m already covered in tattoos and they still gave me a job as a pre-school teacher
5. Beazley For President - Johnny Rotten was the last Australian Prime Minister right ?
6. Networking Mayhem - My RSS reader looks like Sid & Nancy on crack
7. Avoiding Detention - I’d happily trash a classroom if I had one
8. Business Before Pleasure - Fuck capability building…lets all get pissed and feed our learners to the factory furnace
9. Convicts - We all know that with a pardon we can get to the top and mohawks are a type of Columbian bird right ?
10. Green What ? - You seriously want me to work with this haircut ?

Ah well.

Even when I grew my hair back the attitude still remained…..so I’m told. Better we get all ‘edu’ punk as long as we refrain from waving flags and chanting stupid arse slogans invented for long dead white supremist lunatics.

Oi !

Unending Rhetoric

Excerpt from an email I received today in response to my repeat request to gain access to the most important national database records which underpin the whole success of the flexible learning program being managed ( or rather mismanaged ) or perhaps re-managed by an unsaid body of corporate wisdom.

Read carefully for the resolve

Dear alexander hayes,

We are pleased to inform you that your reported Incident has been resolved.

Reference No.: INC000000291614
Summary: Website Unblock Request

Your reported Incident has been resolved with the following resolution:

Alexander,

Re http://docs.google.com <http://docs.google.com/>

Thank you for requesting that the above URL  be unblocked.

Following examination by the web filtering team it has been decided to initiate no action to unblock this site, at this stage.

Thank you for advising us about this site.

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

Web 2.0 : Forward Motion

Image : QUT

Dr. Marcus Foth has contacted me this morning with an article published via the QUT news archive of PHd candidate Tanya Notley’s investigations into the impact of the digital divide and it’s relationship to social inclusion in Queensland.

This follows on from discussions I’ve been having with a number of others Australia wide ( and indeed in an international reference ) as to the importance of access for students to networked learning technologies and the resultant stullification of skills and knowledge as a result of blocking such opportunities ( platforms less specific) in education organisations.

I’m interested in finding the functional balance, exploring a balanced view between those that govern and indeed mandate exclusion from an IT support perspective, informing policy and empowering the organisational referent group which informs or enforces such policy….influencing as Robyn Jay coins.

I’m currently sitting ( typing this ) within one of the largest education organisations in Australia within which all social networking sites such a Bebo, MySpace, Friendster, Facebook and many many other sites are governed by such policy. Like Tanya Notley, I also support the idea that ” denying many students without home internet access use of these sites to learn and participate in an increasingly networked society ” is of disadvantage from a inclusion, ethical and social equality perspective.

It’s plainly eveident that even as an adult it frustrated the hell out of me last year trying to run a national program with registered training organisations from all walks of life from within and without.

The QUT article also contains statements from Tanya that I find compelling and reasonable;

“Firstly, I found that participating in online networks provided the research participants with a way to develop and sustain their personal social networks.

“This is important because research tells us that a strong, supportive and extensive social network improves people’s life opportunities……..Online networks provided these students with ways to participate in society that were social, cultural, civic, economic and educative. “

Far from supporting all social networking sites as the pancea for social ill-will, I’m interested in 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.

I’m also cognisant that many activists ( some may consider me to be one of them ) seek to exclude the organisational safety, security and intellectual property protection discussion in favour of the anarchist rules modality however, as Kim Flintoff and I explored in SL it’s more about informing the digital education revolution than finding ways to undermine it’s very existence…..to find ways to see inclusion and for OER ( open education reform ) to blend it’s way with organisational pride.

Likewise Bill Wade and I also continue to seek ways forward that inform and include the use of social networking and open source technologies and perhaps even to inform where education and collaboration fit into the picture.

Tanya again points to a way forward that is less about fear mongering and more about finding a way in than a way out;

“Policies would be far more effective if they were focused on teaching young people about the risks and benefits of different online networks rather than on just banning and ignoring them.”

My interest is in the behaviours and socio-political constructs that have contributed to “banning and ignoring” in Australia less from a historical perspective and more from examining how these socio-global participatory platforms have positively put pressure on Australia’s agenda to conform, reform or indeed reject such ways of working in the 21st century.

I’m also interested in pursuing this topic and important aspect of education in a research capacity employing the very technologies I seek to speak of and where needed running the hurdle race to assist others in the process. I find it amazing that many of the research articles I read from an academic perspective contain links to individuals who dont use the technologies and yet speak so candidly of them….perhaps that’s a good thing

This blog serves as one node of the systemic reflective crossroad. I’m exploring the active side of the equation I hope and less rant will help my case markedly.

It’s not firewalls we are facing…..just humans frightened to broaden their own frame of reference.

Alls well…..

…….that ends well and by the sounds of it at least 8 out of 10 things were covered in the Learning In The 21st Century gig hosted by education.au in Adelaide today.

Many thanks to all who attended both physically, virtually or in spirit.

Mike Seyfrang has preliminary thoughts and I’m sure Michael Coghlan and Graham Wegner will add their piece later.

Graham passed on some links also - http://www.groups.edna.edu.au/course/view.php?id=1843

Framework - http://www.groups.edna.edu.au/mod/resource/view.php?id=51520

Al upton said hello via Skype.

I was driven to Dubbo NSW and sat with three groups of educators talking about networked learning and wikispaces. The knees gradually on the mend.

So is the head

Bee Online

Barbara Dieu has sent through an MP3 file which talks to the cncept / topic of online safety.

Download the MP3 file here.

Placing Our Feet Well

Lucychili and I spent till some time late in the morning exploring “value” and other useful process oriented actions which leads up to the May 2nd event in Adelaide.

I dropped a post into the Engageme space as i think this brings that community into the discussion and others related to what it means to be living in DER.…an apt coinage by education.au. Ive started tagging things with Diigo on the area from my own and many others ( hopefully) perspective on the idea of a digital education revolution which I think is alive a well.

Today I made some breakthroughs in the nomeclature governing participation within the MECaT online Moodle project I’m Project Officer for which excites me. I didnt think I’d ever get a SCORM compliant learning object operational but with the help of Grant Casey at CLI and Toolbox Champion, Shane Dowd hey….it’s happening !

Building & Construction online. Has a certain ring to it.

You’ll notice some changes with this site. I’m done with the sardonism.

Sick of the smartarse…out with the old in with the new.

Now on with the business of connecting , creating and building things which inspire others. Feel free to drop me a link with some positive, constructive criticism.

News in the door is I’ll be guest speaking at the AFLF Induction Day for the Innovations area in 2008, down in Sydney, networked and built as a participatory event with a few suprises.

Trialling Evernote, research retained through Diigo and playing with other mashables.