Jen e-blogger

Recently, I had lunch with a dear friend. While we were chatting, she told me that she would dearly like to enrol into some computer lessons, so that she doesn’t lose touch with technology. I admire her for realising that this is a need in her life. I was thinking about her comments afterwards and felt compelled to compose her a letter. It is really a letter to everyone, including myself.

Dear friend,

You were raised in a time when learning was only valued if it were formalised. In a time when the teacher was the expert and you were a vessel to be filled with knowledge. Where experiential and collaborative learning was not always considered to be a valuable pedagogy.

It is not to say that formal learning doesn’t have a place in life. I have been studying in formal learning continually for 15 years now, but I consider the learning which means most to me, to be the knowledge and skill I gain from experiencing and collaborating. In fact, most of us tech heads have never taken a computer lesson.

Unfortunately, technology (or any learning) cannot be seen as a ’shelf’ which we need to reach. It is more like a very long ladder we climb, that we will never reach the top of. Unfortunately, some of us get stuck on one of the bottom rungs. Moving upwards is a scary feeling. What if I make a mistake? What if I break something? How will I know what to do without someone telling me?

My son can build a computer from scratch in 30 minutes. He doesn’t have a Facebook account, however, because he ‘doesn’t know how to use it’. What does this mean?

1. He taught himself to build a computer and could just as easily teach himself to use other tools.
2. There is no such thing as an ‘expert’.

We all have knowledge of certain areas and not others. Technology is changing so rapidly so we could never know everything. As soon as you learn a piece of software, it is replaced with a new version.

My friend, I have two pieces of advise for you:

1. Push lots of buttons and ask lots of questions
2. Get yourself a Personal Learning Network

So many people are afraid of pushing buttons. Ask yourself: What does this do? What will happen if I press this? Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. We learn from both success and mistakes.

Ask for help when you get stuck. There is nothing like peer learning. This leads me on to point 2… Get yourself a Personal Learning Network! I have written about this before (click the link for further reading). It is a very powerful way to learn. If it wasn’t for my Twitter networks, my learning would have almost stagnated.  Find some blogs to follow with helpful advice on things you want to learn. Comment on blogs, ask your Twitter network for help, join a Wiki.

Ask questions.

Collaborate.

Follow links.

Experiment.

My friend, you are on a journey like the rest of us. It is just that you are not on the ladder rung where you want to be. Keep climbing, that is all that matters. You are reading this blog, you have  a Facebook account and send emails = you are learning.

Keep learning.

With love,

Jen (e-blogger)

If you want a good start, try this self paced ‘23 Things program’ I designed last year. It is unsupported at the moment but still very useable: 23 Things  4 Swin

To finish off… I have included this YouTube video. It might be a little scary, but it highlights the speed in which technology is racing. Best of all… here is a last resort: Tech support cheat sheet.

Watch it and comment if you feel inclined!

Working in an institution gave me foundations!

Kingsbury Training Centre 1978

In a past life, (for 28 years) I worked in the disability field, more specifically, with people with intellectual disability and autism.  In the late 1970’s I left school in the country, arrived in Melbourne and began work in at Kingsbury Training Centre, a new ‘forward thinking’ institution for people with intellectual disability. I was one of 3 staff on shift at any time, with 30 small children aged from 5 to 13 years old. Amongst the concepts, which were futuristic for the times, we ran individual programs, mostly based around life skills for the residents. As time went by, this concept was developed across all disability services. My shift into Educational services for adults, saw the IPP (Individual Program Plan) delivered, by law,  across the state of Victoria. This has since been abolished and replaced by the ‘Person centred planning’ concept. The focus shifted from ‘helping and caring’ to ‘empowering’, although I admit that it is implemented with varying success across organisations. One of my greatest contributions to  the disability field designing the  ‘All about me communication books’ this whilst at EDAR and consequently, winning the Dept of Human Services ‘Best practice award’. These books embraced the concept of individuality and empowerment and have been used across Australia.

Management in the disability services embraced the same philosophy: Management supported Staff from below, as the foundation of the organisation, rather from the top looking down. I particularly experienced this at EDAR, where I eventually became a manager myself. Collaboration and learning come hand in hand in developing an authentic and sustainable organisation which will manage change effectively. By role modeling this to staff, the philosophy flowed through to the clients and became a holistic learning journey for all.

What has this got to do with e-learning?

Be patient, I am getting to it!

I began my career change by teaching Cert 4 in Disability across 4 TAFE organisations. It was a very steep learning curve which flowed into Aged care, Nursing, Business and many other areas. In fact, I taught over 45 different units of Competency in my first year of work as a teacher. It came as a surprise that program delivery was largely focused on students as a group and that personal learning concepts had not been embraced. Content seemed to be delivered at students rather than involving them in collaboration, by providing real world experiences and choice of delivery methods. Teachers from a disability background find it natural to teach in a collaborative style as they tend to utilise the skills they learned in industry. Of course, I am generalising. There are many many amazing and talented teachers out there who are from various backgrounds, who have become that way by both natural means and through trial an error. What I am saying is that it is easier for teachers when this style of teaching does not involve behaviour change or who have had the learner centred approached modeled to them personally.

Recognise and embrace difference

Diversity in the classroom

Some people have struggled their whole school life to ‘fit into the mold’ and only ‘blossom’ when a teacher recognised their strengths and encouraged them to learn by using them.

Many people come to a position in their lives where they disengage with formal school learning, despite the good work of talented and dedicated teachers. Some have learning difficulties, some have the capacity but are not interested.  Either way they separate from learning either physically or in their commitment. The path to re-engagement, if there is such a path, is individual and arises through linking learning to a passion or interest which in turn is linked to work life or purpose.

Perhaps the first requirement is a shared acknowledgement  that not all people learn in the same way.  Some like to  follow an academic path while others learn better by doing and applying skills to practical situations. Some learners succeed through formal study while others succeed through  engaging in work-like learning. Importantly both paths lead to success and should be equally esteemed.

Individual learning and e-learning

Many studies indicate the advantages of blended learning in terms of lower dropout rates and success in  achieving learning goals. There is obviously nothing wrong with blended learning, but its implementation can be even more challenging than the introduction of 100% distance learning. A model appropriate to blended learning must allow for individual path combining contact and distance learning. In practice this is hard to implement because of logistic constraints, especially on contact hours. Careful design is therefore essential.

I am teaching the ‘Design and Research e-learning’  unit in the Diploma of VET program at Swinburne. Most recently I have trialled the use of the Australian Flexible Learning Framework Learning design tool as a first step towards developing programs for online learning. The Learning Design Tool is a FREE online resource which guides you step-by-step through the four essential stages to write high quality, learner-focused course content, and to create your own learning design template. Using this tool has helped teachers to think more seriously about who they are pitching the learning to and how they will design it.

Tips for individual learning online

Encourage your students to develop a Personal Learning Network. EXAMPLE: The majority of my learning is done informally, mostly because I have a huge network of ‘Twitter people’ who are e-learning consultants and teachers. READ: Using Twitter to enhance your personal learning network (PLN)- How can Twitter be useful to educators?

Follow me on Twitter

Don’t try to force feed content to your learners. Give them opportunities to learn collaboratively and experimentally. Use tools such as the discussion or chat tools in your LMS or  Wikis and Nings for collaborative learning.

Find out what skills they already have and allow them to ‘choose their own adventure’ to become competent and skilled at tasks.

Take baby steps:

1. Not all Gen Y are techno whizzes and often students in their advanced years are very computer literate. Gen Y are often fantastic at Facebook and SMS, but have no idea how to use email. Allow for plenty of support and learning.
2. ‘Taking baby steps’ also refers to yourself. You don’t need bells and whistles to be a good online facilitator. Just keep it within your area of skill but keep learning and progressing!

Don’t underestimate peer learning. Quite often students have asked questions in the online discussion forums and another student has answered it for them beautifully. This is meaningful learning for both students. Good facilitation will encourage this, providing they are not left without support or encouragement from the teacher altogether!

Engaging Gen Y

In this video, which is part of a larger project investigating learner-centered teaching with technology, the need for motivation and engagement with technology is highlighted. The use of the technogy advertisements is designed to highlight the engagement produced by technology and media. Part 2 is also available on You Tube if you find it helpful.

I would like to finish with my favourite, thought provoking video…

Your comments are always welcome and I try to reply to them as soon as is humanly possible!

Now that I have got your attention, I will change the heading to:

How to use Facebook safely

I have had 3 conversations this week with people who are ‘afraid of Facebook’ because:

• They don’t want their identity stolen
• They don’t want the world knowing their details
• They think they will be robbed
• They believe their children will be kidnapped (from photos on Facebook)

Lets start by looking at how Facebook works…

If you adjusted your privacy settings correctly, the only people able to see your Facebook info, is your ‘friends’. I say ‘friends’ loosely. Friends = anyone you add to Facebook. YOU have the control over who you add as a friend and what they can see. If you don’t want strangers to see your information, don’t add them. It’s as simple as that. You can group your friends. This way, your students/workmates etc can only see the information that you want them to see. At the bottom of this post you will find some tips for setting your privacy settings.

It would be easier for someone to stalk your house and observe toys in the yard, notice that your car is not in the carport etc, than to see a photo on your private Facebook site and track down your address.

Just recently, I went to Europe for 6 weeks. While I was gone, I left my 25 year old son, who is a martial arts champion, my 23 yo son who is home during the day and 20 year old daughter, who is also home most days, in the house with my over protective dog who goes crazy if a leaf falls off a tree. Here I was away in Europe, posting photos of my trip in Facebook and unbeknown to me, someone could have robbed my house. Really?

Yes… bad things do happen, but lets put on our seat belts before we travel. Take the best precautions and enjoy the benefits of networking with long lost cousins, keeping in touch with friends and facilitating e-learning which reaches people in a more engaging and contemporary manner.

Tips for privacy

There is no point in me recreating the wheel, so I have found some postings from other bloggers about Privacy settings:

1. How to sort your friends into groups with different settings for each group eg: People you work with or your students could be kept from viewing your private photos. How to group privacy settings via the friends list
2. Adjusting your privacy settings
3. 10 Privacy settings every Facebook user should know
4. A guide to Facebook privacy
5. The risky business of using social media for teaching

Comments

Let me know what you think by writing your comments on the comments link.

OK, I admit it, it is addictive and time wasting… but like a lot of Web 2 tools, it has it’s good side.

What is it you ask?

Farm Town is an application in Facebook. My daughter insisted I would love it and she was right.

Farm Town is application that allows users to plow, plant, harvest, and sell crops. It is the latest fad among Facebook users, which I am a great fan of. There is some irony in running a farm because it IS just like running a farm… only cleaner. Not only that, but you can go and work for other people and build up your ‘money’ and experience points (sound familiar?). You can be hired in the marketplace or hire people yourself. I think it’s a great tool for building business skills with students, collaboration, strategic planning and the need for persistence. I wish I had some (Business students I mean) to work with. Instead… I will share my idea.

My farm (below) is currently being re-constructed. I am saving for the ultimate farm house so I am living in a hay barn. Just like real life perhaps? You can see my avatar in the photo, standing in the Sunflower patch… which is 83% ready for harvest.

There is plenty of information on the web about HOW to use Farm Town and tricks and tips for success, so I am not going to bother touching on that subject.

Using Farm Town for Learning

Students will need to create a Facebook account, if they haven’t already and then search for Farm Town and bookmark the application on their home page.

They will need to build a farm from scratch, making purchases from their earnings such as… seeds, houses, buildings, rivers, paths, fences and lawn mowers.

Students can ask other students to be their neighbours and/or buddy, and as neighbours are away from their farms, students will have to tend to their farms as tornadoes strike, crops dry out, and weeds grow. The neighbours can also work on each others farms, earning money and experience as they go. What they grow and harvest, how they manage their money and employ people, will determine their success in the given time frame. Students would need to develop strategies for their business and reflect on them afterwards to cap it off.

This tool works as both a collaborative learning tool as well as a self reflective resource for individuals, which I think has great benefit to teaching and learning.

Now that I have justified my addiction… I am off to harvest my latest crop, or sit back and watch someone else do it.

If you think of any other ideas or student groups who this would benefit… feel free to comment below.

You can have a break from reading my blog until late July as I will be traveling Europe until then. I know, it will be difficult but someone’s gotta it!

If you want to follow me, you can do this on Twitter or on my private blog: http://dishmoptop.wordpress.com

Follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Jenny_Wood

ciao!

Is your organisation pushing or pulling e-learning?

E-learning is in high demand, let’s face it, and teaching and learning organisations are under pressure to keep up with demand.

Are teachers willing to embrace e-learning, or is it a constant struggle or ‘push’ to develop the skills in technology required to create engaging e-learning resources?

Is your organisation recognising the strengths of the e-learning champions to build skilled teams and empower those who have the capacity to develop effective online learning material?

I have long noticed that many teachers are not willing or skilled at developing e-learning resources. This isn’t to say that they are not great teachers!! There are some awesome teachers out there who are not cut out for technology, but they feel pushed into developing online courses in their teaching field. Understandably, this can be a daunting and disempowering task for some teachers.

Is your organisation utilising the expertise it has and embedding e-learning strategically?

A new report was released on 14th May 2009 called: ‘The impact of e-learning champions on embedding e-learning’

Some of the summary points are:

This report looks at the use of e-learning champions as a change management strategy and outlines common activities and guidelines adopted by e-learning champions to successfully facilitate the uptake of e-learning within their organisation.

It confirms that successful e-learning champions possess a defined set of characteristics, including:

    * Credibility – A champion is skilled in e-learning; shares knowledge, skills and resources; is passionate and tenacious; communicates well; is client focused; and problem solves.  

    * Support – A champion provides tailored, educationally sound solutions; encourages teachers/trainers to explore e-learning; supports teachers/trainers one-on-one; and reviews and adapts as required.  

    * Influence – A champion builds capable e-learning teams; creates communities of practice; facilitates peer-to-peer learning; recognises and showcases achievements; and nurtures influential advocates.  

    * Commitment – A champion makes e-learning part of the strategic plan; ensures e-learning is appropriately resourced; makes e-learning part of teacher/trainer performance plans; and provides opportunities and time to learn, experiment and review e-learning tools and products.  

The study has a firm message for employers looking to harness the benefits of e-learning, warning:

    * E-learning champions are often better recognised for their work outside of their organisation than within it. 

    * Champions of e-learning cannot alone embed e-learning in their organisation, industry or community. To sustain e-learning, managers and policy makers must assist and build organisational cultures and work processes that support innovation and the work of e-learning champions. 

http://apo.org.au/research/impact-e-learning-champions-embedding-e-learning

So what does this have to do with pushing and pulling?

E-learning needs to be embedded strategically into an organisation for the emphasis to change from ‘push’ to ‘pull’. By changing our focus from pushing to pulling, our approach is more in line with adult learning preferences and Adult Learning Theory. 

Making e-learning a part of the strategic plan; ensures e-learning is appropriately resourced; ensures the planning of professional development according to needs; that champions are patient with teachers who are not tech savvy, ensures that  e-learning tools and products are researched and reviewed regularly. 

If organisations strategically set aside funding for resources to be developed by people who have the skills, teacher stress is minimised and student learning will benefit. Recognise that not all teachers are e-learning champions and either ‘encourage’ them to develop skills or stop insisting that they develop them. Most likely, they are awesome teachers in the classroom and are best left doing what they do best!

Poorly developed resources, with little understanding of design and development strategies, will not do your organisation or your learners justice in the long run. WIthout the foundational understanding of development and design, often we are left with a Learning Management System which contains a bunch of Word documents and handouts. I have seen some online learning which has made me want to curl up and suck my thumb! 

In saying that, I encourage all teachers who have an interest, to develop their skills and their Personal Learning Network. … more about Personal Learning Networks here. We all have to start somewhere!

[from Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach, Letter to My Colleagues]

Marketing and recruitment campaigns run hot in this competitive world. Do we deliver to our students what we say we will or are they left feeling disappointed with their expectations unfulfilled?

Just recently, I made a decision which seemed exciting at the time, but unfortunately things didn’t work out as I expected. It has got me thinking about how we can have expectations which are not always fulfilled. Sometimes these are our own high expectations and other times there is a ’selling’ of the service, which influences our choice. Could this be the case sometimes with our students?

Years ago, a friend told me a joke, which seems relevant to this blog post, so I made a little animation video for you to enjoy:

It is often difficult for students to understand the implications of enrolling into an online course. They often get into it and discover it is ‘hell’. Maybe that is a bit over the top… but it may be ’sold’ to them in an enticing way, only to discover it isn’t what they expected. Students may not have considered:

1. If they are suited to online learning
2. If they have the technology necessary
3. If the course will suit their learning style

They may enrol and discover that the entire course is delivered as text. This can be very BORING and they might just as soon get out a good book and read it!

So walk your talk and avoid disgruntled students! Take a look at these top tips for making elearning interesting.

I would love to hear your comments so please share your thoughts!

Here is a demonstration of a short (1 minute) movie I made with a free open source product.

If you would like to learn how to use it, we are running free PD online in Elluminate. Check out the calendar for the PD on http://theedublogger.edublogs.org/free-live-web-events/

The product can be embedded into html (as seeen below) or shared via a link, on Facebook and many other options. It could be a great tool for developing an engaging ’scenario’ for your e-learning course.

Enjoy this short demonstration. I apologise in advance for my strange sense of humour!

Here is something else for free (I am SO good to you all!).

Edublogs now offers free live web events to support the education community.  Session topics will range from different aspects of blogging to using a range of web technologies and e-learning options.

You can sign up to be notified by email of the upcoming free live events and professional development by selecting the link on the free live web events web page.

These real-time events are delivered using Elluminate complete with audio, chat and desktop sharing. Most of the time the session lasts for one hour and is fairly casual.