Backyard

Sitting at home with a dose of the flu and being subsequently chair-ridden has given me a chance to scour my web sources quite a bit and reflect on the changes in my own learning yet again!! Things have changed (I know that) but I keep seeking some pattern which will help me understand just what is happening to me and of course all of us (even if we don’t know it!!).

As I have reflected before people who challenge me recognise the importance of having a PLE (Personal Learning Environment)(e.g. Mark Treadwell). We (Sydney CEO) are moving towards more of this (e.g. One of our wikis – it is still private but apply and you’ll be let in!!) and finding the process interesting – it is certainly a great addition to our LMS which has been too slow for years and frustrated effective colaboration. It is certainly connecting us. Stephen Downes (see previous post) is one of the people I find who really thinks about what is happening (he has a philosophical background and it shows, you may need to acquire the taste if this isn’t you … I like it!). Stephen gave an interesting talk in Canada last Thursday it is well worth the listen and watch! (Remember he is an acquired taste!!).

This gives me a segue into my own “stream of learning” from my chair this week. I always start in Google Reader and a post from  Rampantred caught my eye and led me to Susan Boyle (as the SMH said today “If you haven’t heard of this you must be living with Osama (that’s Bin Laden not Barack!) my contribution towards the viral phenomenon!). Not sure where I “caught it from” but discovered that Mark Pesce did a keynote at the ACE Digital Fair at Geelong Grammar also last Thursday which I listened to also. Pesce is always worth listening to so I did, reflecting on the saving of $500 or so in conference fees but also sharing the feelings of Kim Cofino and others on the value of attending conferences. Don’t get me wrong, I love catching up with people and meeting new people and find all this very valuable – it is ONE of the ways we learn (just a part of our PLE as Downes would say!).

Other snippets:

• reflecting on the two different presentations of the talks.
• Pesce was a video, Downes Sildeshare with accompanying Odeo audio ( I think I liked the control I had over Downes better, my interaction seemed to involve me more).
• had great fun (eventually!! iTunes is soooo picky) getting a full Hollywood movie onto my wife’s iPhone – please don’t ask “Why?” this is the holidays and I’m sick!!
• Downes and George Seimens are running their “Connectivism” course again later this year, I might do it!
• Still sniffing around in Twitter trying to make up my mind!!
• Just used the work phone to take photos at Byron, surprisingly good, certainly much easier to document a time and place.

A final quote from Seimens:

It’s a great time to be in education. And an even better time to be in the educational technology field. The fuzzy, ambiguous, emerging, and confusing world of technology and learning is more clearly defined than it was only ten years ago. This is largely due to the many different voices exploring and considering trends influencing institutions of learning.