Professor John Hattie is someone we have all come to respect and he would be one of the most quoted educational researchers working today. You may be interested to hear his opinion about National Standards (they are on the way in NZ).

As always his ability to expose the clarity in a complicated issue is exceptional..

I’m experimenting with Livestream and seeing if it will embed (Guess what? It does!!)

Finally a new post!!!  I have been going to write for ages but ……

I’m at Christchurch for the uLearn Conference. It is 12 noon during the first breakout and I’m listening to DK (from Wales). He is currently tallking about blogging and Bubble us so I am taking the chance to collect my thoughts and recharge my battery!!! Actually reflecting on the difference between Twitter (I have been wanting to post about it for months!!…later) and this form of slower media!!

It is now Wed and I’m in Mark Treadwell (Even though this is the greatest temporary wireless network I have ever seen this post didn’t publish properly yesterday).

Time seems to get away and I have been more than a little flat out in the ftf world recently. Finally I have taken a little time to actually Gread some other people and I find that, as usual, it has started my mind thinking.

We are headed to Christchurch for the uLearn Conference in a month so I have been trying to pull together some NZ people and ideas to stimulate the thinking of some of my colleagues. Jane Nicholls from Dunedin got me going and this sharetab which gives you direct links with lots of NZ Principals – see if you get lost in your browser (the way I did!) when you first open it … very nifty, thanks Jane!!

I know that it is always dangerous to expect too much but I am really hoping that Christchurch lives up to some of the hype, because to be honest, I think there are not many conferences here in OZ that really “excite” these days – there are good things, don’t get me wrong, and lots of good people but we don’t seem to have a common thrust these days?? Or is it just me?? Anyway, I am looking forward to maybe developing some networking among people in NZ along the lines that Tony Ryan often speaks about: “I am constantly astonished by the professionalism of the Kiwi teachers who attend sessions during their holidays.” (BTW Tony’s latest post pointed me to some jaw-dropping Google sweeties – Google Wonderwheel, Google Timeline and Google Squared – far out! I’ll let Tony tell you but you mindmappers will loove Wonderwheel!!!

A couple of others I am looking forward to meeting ftf in Christchurch are Andrew Churches and others on the presenters’ page to say nothing of the breakouts.

It is the Saturday of a long weekend here in Oz so I am in more relaxed mode and have been sitting reading the newspaper in the sun. I read with real interest about Obama’s speech in Cairo, which I had missed and, of course, cranked up the mac and went to Youtube to have a look!

As  I watched this excepetional man speak I became aware of just how much deeper my involvement and learning about this significant event are because of my access to the visual media. To watch and hear and “be in the crowd at Cairo” is a far greater experience and deepens my understanding of the events Obama talked about. He was talking to the world. I sensed myself “sitting beside” people with much more at stake e.g. people huddled in refugee camps in Palestine. It was quite an experience!

It reaffirms for me the dawning understanding that the world has changed and the way I learn has changed. So we must change the way we teach in our schools!! (I have worked in a couple of institutions this week where the “battles” around freedom and access are still being keenly fought, I was a little tired from this but have been lifted by watching a truly 21st Century leader!)

Sitting in a meeting which is quite worthwhile, but a bit of a curate’s egg, like most human interactions. I have had internet access up to now but it just dropped out and I’m legless!! It is interesting to monitor my reactions (cf. Mia’s reflections on her holiday). I am a bit lost!! I feel annoyed at the top as I now am just “in this room” and at the mercy of the presenter. I already know a lot about what she is discussing (that’s is not to say that it is not useful for all of us in some way). I am aware that I like to be “connected” not simply to be distracted but to really enhance what is going on in the room but perhaps my main feeling is that I simply have to postpone many of the things I could do until I get back online. My issue is about my time! I honestly don’t think my multitasking takes away from my contribution to this group – I’m not integral to the meeting, just a participant.

My answer?? I have dropped into Word and am writing this as a post for my blog –but I’ll have to upload it LATER!!!

By Kylie Davis in the SMH yesterday:

“The world is fast dividing into two types of people. First, there are those who fear that even typing the word “MasterCard” into an email will result in their bank accounts being emptied by Nigerian scammers.

Then there are those who breathe the digital environment like oxygen – who have never been inside a bank branch, who will chat with friends without talking and who will cheerfully buy from, sell to and make payments to people they have never met, regardless of the country in which they live.”  (Where do you fit???)

Mia Freedman in her blog and column, in her inimitable way, really puts it to those of us who can’t live without our technology ….. how long since you had a real holiday!! Worth a read!!

Still stuck in my chair ….. but

This has given me a great opportunity to reflect on some of the possibilities.

Right now I am listening (watching and sharing in) to a meeting at Yokohama International High School run by Brian Lockwood who I connected with via Twitter earlier this week.

The pre-reading was the first 12 minutes of

Clay Shirky \”Here Comes Everybody\”

I think this is a good one to show teachers around collaboration possibilities and the changes in Society.

It is over now (I could hear the bell go!) and in some ways was quite inconsequential like lots of human interactions. It was just as if I was in the room for their meeting. It put me in touch with their wikis and even the program for the weekend conference they were preparing for. Certainly interesting, somewhat surreal and much cheaper than flying to Japan!!

Brian and I chatted for about five minutes on Skype afterwards. This gave me a good chance to connect with him a little more and understand the details of their rather big Professional Development weekend. They used membership of a Ning as a way of enabling people to book in for workshops for the weekend. A good idea we might try!

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.

Only my second post for the year but as I am on holidays at Byron Bay for the Blues Festival which starts on Thursday I have a little time to reflect and thought I might write a little here. I’m actually writing this offline and will wander down to the Internet Shop shortly to load it up.

Having time and being offline is good for me, I think! A few thoughts ….

Les, 3 years old, was watching a movie on the laptop the other day when he got up to get a drink. From my perspective he seemed to “bump” something on the keyboard and concerned I jumped up lest there be some issue. He looked at me and said: “I just paused it Pop!” Pause/3yo/me not needed/must be 21st Century!!

Stephen Downes, whom I have read, with interest, for a number of years was in Sydney last week for a couple of things. I only found out at the last minute via Twitter (it is growing on me..)and although I couldn’t get to any of his formal presentations turned up for a meal with Stephen and others one night. Somewhat surreal feeling…I didn’t know anyone except Stephen and we had never met…we had quite an enjoyable time(at least I did!!) and I couldn’t help reflecting on what is possible. A subtext was, however, for all our connectedness – the right hand often doesn’t know what the left hand is doing. So much is possible but we can often stay within a pretty small pond – perhaps we  all need to consider how we can be truly open to the many, many ideas of others.

We have all been having fun with Elaine’s new iPhone this week as there is no other online here. I like to think that I am not a gadget guy but it is one cool tool! (Les likes the “Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round” App. – so do I!) However we were amazed at just how pathetic is the 3G coverage (Optus) along the North Coast. Calls are fine but the 3G is really weak and intermittent. Another reason we all live in Sydney!! Talk about the digital divide.

Final word .. last Tuesday Sydney CEO held a “Showcase” of projects around integrating ICT into learning. On show were teachers (dare I say ordinary ones) who from a variety of perspectives and subjects areas across K-12. It was great! It pointed out just how great the need is to “show” people what others have done. We seem to learn by connecting…… We are looking at ways to expand on this and really help teachers connect and share – not the easiest thing to do when you are an over-busy teacher.