Michael Hotrum :: Blog

http://community.brighton.ac.uk/jd29/weblog/28296.html

Full story at: http://jondron.cofind.net:80/frshowresource.php?tid=5325&resid=1377

An interesting approach to trust and reputation, a wiki in which every word is attributable to its author. I like the principle and the example site (wikigenes) looks good - a decent editor, use of ontologies, rated ranking of text and authors, automated insertion of gene images and so on. Of course, some of this is customised for the site and it is still a bit buggy in its use of CSS etc. The ranking idea at this fine-grained level is potentially useful, if abusable and perhaps a bit too high-threshold to be widely used, especially for snippets - who would give five stars for a correction, for instance?

Created:Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:23:30 GMT

http://www.pontydysgu.org/2008/08/dont-throw-the-baby-out-with-th

Sort of like that saying. I don’t have much time ot post here - am constantly traveling - but will make a few quick commnets from the road (as an aside - countries like Estonia put other countries to shame when it comes to intrenet access - free fast wireless access is available almost everywhere).

Maybe it is juts the people i am talking too, buut there seems to be growing appreciation of the importance of informal learning and learning acquired in the workplace. At the same time I am slightly concerned that this appreciation for workplace and informal learning is being counterposed to formal training and qualifications. In this respect I think people are mixing up the schooling system and formal learning. Yes - I completely agree that our formal schooling system is out of date, frequently ineffective and promotes formal accreditation at the expense of learning. Putting it simply there are better ways to learn - and the money spent of formal schooling could be much more effectively deployed elsewhere.

But this is not to say there is no place for formal training and learning and for qualifications. Qualifications can play an important regulatory role - both for quality and in terms of preventing employer exploitation. Moreover such qualifications can prove aspirational - especially for young people. Yes - there are many issues around curriculum (I will return to this issue in a further post). Formal learning and training can provide a structure for learning. And formal learning and qualifications are not in opposition to informal learning - the two can go together.

I think there are problems in a fast changing economy as employment and work tasks and roles are fast changing. There is no guarantee that training for one particular occupation will guarantee employment in ten years time. Yet, all the empirical surveys we have carried out show that those who have undergone a formal training programme - regardless of subject - are more likely to participate in on-going learning in the future. Thus, even though the link between qualifications and employment may be weakening (especially in liberal market economies such as the UK) there remains a macro economic benefit to the provision of formal learning opportunities.

http://networklearning.blogspot.com/2006/11/creative-commons-wanna-work-tog

Great video
explaining the reasoning behind Creating Sharing and Adapting content openly in education using the creative commons licence...

http://networklearning.blogspot.com/2006/11/what-to-do-when-technology-does

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Good conversation with Ian Perkins and Beth Evans from the http://learningwithoutborders.edublogs.org project with advice on how to cope with the tendancy of technology not to work the way it's supposed to...

Water Logic
'de Bono contends that traditional logic is static, based on the solid foundations of 'is' and identity. In contrast to the traditional 'rock logic', he proposes 'water logic' which is based on 'to' and the flow of the mind: 'What does this lead to?' as opposed to 'What is...?' This new logic is surprisingly easy to learn and to use, and results in a visual 'flowscape', which allows you to lay out and then look at your thinking.'
http://www.edwdebono.com/debono/wl.htm

http://networklearning.blogspot.com/2006/11/networked-professional-developm

A key aim of the teacherConnect Project is to implement a sustainable OPEN networked learning Professional Development model in collaboration with other Institutes.

Information on the Project Outcomes can be found at following link. http://teacherconnect.wikispaces.com/Learnscope06

Below is the PowerPoint and podcast of the 18min presentation I recently gave at Learnscope e-learning06 on 21st October 2006. I discuss the concept of teacherConnect as well as ran through the research, planning, implementationon & outcomes of the Project.




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http://networklearning.blogspot.com/2006/11/organisation-innovation-info-fl

Innovation in the the Professional Development Process
The diagram demonstrates how the Professional Development Process works within an innovative learning organisation through the following key stages:

• Management identifies a need for skilling & training
• Mentors are targeted to share skills & knowledge, and offer support to peers
  
• Workshops set up for training of updated, relevant, contemporary tools & methods
  
• Learning Outcomes identified, recorded and applied to day to day teaching
  
• Networks established for ongoing participation, support, publishing & sharing information
  
• Sustainability - follow up of training, network tracking
• Self actualisation achieved for teachers to implement new skills & methods

Learning Outcomes Professional Development Workshops
From a Professional Development workshop the teacher will gain skilling on the below easy to use/easy to access Web2.0 tools that will facilitate personal learning and development, in addition providing the teacher greater options to now network with peers and like minded colleagues to become a part of a larger organisational network where the teacher will achieve the following:

Ability to........

• Manage email - e.g. using http://gmail.com and Outlook
• Publish & share photos, create networks - e.g. http://flickr.com
• Create, Publish & share Video & Audio - eg: http://blip.tv , http://odeo.com
  
• Bookmark professional & research websites, create networks - e.g. http://del.icio.us
• Subscribe to RSS Feeds using a 'newsreader' - e.g. http://bloglines.com
• Understand TAGS and RSS
• Network & gain email contacts of colleagues from the Professional Development workshop
  
• Post BLOGS with a blogging tool - e.g. http://blogger.com
• Use a 'wiki' to co-author and edit content - e.g. http://wikispaces.com
• Instant message - e.g. http://skype.com

The Workshop Trainer assists the teacher to create their own professional learning & teaching space which will be the central location for their body of work, and to pull together content from multiple sources with these new tools.
This captures to create a network of material from a pool of teachers/peers/references and more importantly the individual teachers contributions e.g. Published teaching resource material, Video's, Podcast's, Photo's, websites, del.icio.us, Blog posts etc...
Then end product may be an individual or group 'wiki', 'startpage' or Blog. This can then feed into the organisation's network that the teacher joins/creates/is a part of.

Group effort and understanding of carrying on the Network
To create an effective easy to access network, the teachers discuss common key words to 'TAG' materials/entries that will be published to the network eg: class , trade, 'subject area' network name ...

'Info Flow', Ongoing Participation, Networks & Sustainability
It's the ongoing participation by teachers in a learning network after the Professional Development workshop that's important to keep the info flowing, maintain sustainability, and realise benefits from the new skilling. There are some basic actions that require little effort but must be continually employed by the teacher in order to begin publishing and participating equitalby with a network. The trick is to make a habit of them in work and life by incorporating into one's daily workpractice routine. Learning the fundamentals of a new way of working in the networked world requires practice and changing habit...I'll soon put up a blog post with some suggestions in how to achieve this, with what you can do when you sit down at your desk and want to get started...

Management support
Networked learning within an organisation is easier with across the board support of managment, to support the implementation of an individuals Professional Development plans and legitimise professional Networking as a valued part of day-to day practice through mentor networks.

http://networklearning.blogspot.com/2006/10/secondlife-tweaking-my-sparker.

http://networklearning.blogspot.com/2006/10/barriers-and-solutions-to.html

Podcast topics

Interview with Stanley Frielick of Northland Colege of ED NZ and Steven Smith of the http://refrigerationed.wikispaces.com network.

Discussion around the idea of divorcing the process of publishing media for teaching and learning from perceived copyright and endorsed curriculum issues , overcoming barriers to participation in a learning network, and raising awareness of using technology in the classroom.


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Questioning the logic of closed systems (Such as Sharepoint) and selling resources to remain profitable within an educational organisation and how this model can affect teacher participation in a learning network and teaching and learning outcomes for students...

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http://networklearning.blogspot.com/2006/10/scrybe-rocks-by-look-of-it.html

http://networklearning.blogspot.com/2008/06/moodle-hot-potatoes-makes-creat