Online learning

Why blog? e-flections …

Mariis3 Comments

Both at The MIL Programme and in the CCK08 blogging is a theme. Paul Lowe, author of the “E-flections” blog, whom I just discovered has created a slideshow presenting arguments for blogging based on Donald A. Schön and Harry Potter among others – it’s really worth checking out!

In general Lowe’s blog seems to be very interesting and relevant covering many topics within the field of e-learning – also Lowe is an award-winning freelance photographer, so the blog is filled with visual goodies :-)  I’m really looking forward to exploring this some more ..

It’s also available on Slideshare

Thanks to Joan Vinall-Cox for pointing me in that direction … BTW, I’m amazed by Joan’s ability to keep up with the lastest trends and tools .. suspect it has something to do with her PLE/network ;-)

/Mariis

NoEL visits Zotarah Shepherd’s MI build

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On Tuesday September 30th the NoEL group will visit Zotarah Shepherd on the Koru Island to learn more about her creation of Howard Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences. Zotarah is currently working on her MA in Education CTL at Sonoma State University (California).

Zotarah asks her guests to consider the following questions:

  • Would you use the information in a classroom for teens?
  • Looking over the topics in the curriculum which of them would be most useful to teens?
  • Do you think that SL is an appropriate venue for presenting this information to teens?
  • Would you use interactive builds in SL to teach classes?
  • How well do think my builds work for illustrating the concepts?

We have to meet Zotarah at 20:30 on the Koru Island – use the landmark, including Curriculum send via group notice in-world :-)

/Mariis

Book release: Digital Media and Didactical Design

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Today we have a book release; ”Digital Media and Didactical Design – use, experiences and research”. Together with Lone Dirckinck-Holmfeld and MIL alumni Torben Iversen, Ulla Konnerup, Merete Lindemann, Steener Oxbjerre, Torben Pihler and Dorthe S. Schmidt I’ve written an article on collaboration in virtual learning environments based on Master thesis work. It is in Danish though, and so will the rest of this post be ..

Antologien er redigeret af Lars Birch Andreasen, Bente Meyer og Pernille Rattleff og har bidrag fra en række forskere, der diskuterer deres erfaringer med og forskning i brug af digitale medier i undervisnings- og læringssammenhænge.

Antologien er dedikeret til professor Birgitte Holm Sørensen som hyldest til hendes arbejde og betydning for forskningen i medier, it og læring i de seneste årtier.

I denne anledning er der reception på DPU torsdag d. 25. september 2008 kl. 16 i vandrehallen (lokale D170), Tuborgvej 164, 2400 København NV.

Alle er velkomne!

Kort anmeldelse i Folkeskolen.dk kan læses her

/Mariis

Pernille Rattleff om bogens tilblivelse

Presenting “Learning Theory” in Wisdomap

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On Monday September 1st my dear colleague Jørgen Lerche Nielsen (RUC) and I will officially start our 4 week course on “Learning Theory” at the Masterprogramme in Ict and Learning (MIL).

At an upcoming f2f seminar in mid Septeber we have roughly 1 hour to introduce the field of learning theories! Fortunately we have the following weeks to elaborate and clarify questions in the students online discussions, and learning theory will be a recurring topic for the students to adress throughout the education.

At the seminar we usually present via ppt, but this year we’re trying to do things a bit different by using Wisdomap. I have started to fill out the wisdomap for the course;

What I really appreciate about wisdomap is that we can collect all course ressources in one place:

  • mind-map
  • text
  • videos
  • images
  • files
  • links

As far as I can tell the four guys behind Wisdomap released the tool in July – and they are still working on improving it. Even though I’m quite enthusiastic about wisdomap as it is, some of the features I – especially as an educator – would like to see in the future include:

  1. the possibility to insert a ppt in the text-box (should open in the box)
  2. the possibility to edit text and insert links (also in the nodes)
  3. the possibility to upload other videos than YouTube
  4. the possibility to use Danish characters like æ, ø and å
  5. the possibility to choose/change the colour of the nodes

It’ll be quite interesting to hear what our students think of this way of presenting and collecting ressources ..

/Mariis

CCK08 – connecting with 1200 others in an online course

Mariis2 Comments

Back from vacation I’ve been catching up on several blogs. Reading Fleep’s Deep Thoughts I was reminded of a very remarkable course given online by George Siemens and Stephen Downes on Connectivism & connective knowledge – CCK08. I’ve been hesitant in signing up for this 12 week course, because my calendar for the fall semester already is quite full. But … Today I signed up and here are the reasons why:

  • I teach learning theory, and Connectivism is in my opinion an increasingly important part of the general learning landscape (both theoretical and methodological) – especially when put in relation with new media/Web 2.0

  • I’ve been a devotee of both Siemens and Downes for quite some time now – and I think participating in a course facilitated by them will prove to be quite the experience :-)


·

  • As an online teacher I think it’s important, that I participate “on the other side” as a student once in a while – lots have happened especially on the tech side, since I last studied online in 2003.


  • Joining the course means joining a learning network, connecting with people from all over the world, who share the same interest – and this is actually one of the core principles of Connectivism!


  • I’m excited to see that Fleep and the Chilbo community will host and help facilitate a SL cohort for synchronous meetings – another great opportunity to use SL.


The course is free and it’s still possible to enroll – so connect :-)

/Mariis