DummiesPathway
From LearnSpace
| Table of contents |
INTRODUCTION
Supercomplexity is with us and future shock seems very passe. For some of us, Information Technologies are especially terrifying. We don’t understand the language, let alone what ‘they’ can actually do for/to us.
A group of us in the VET Division (program directors Laraine Hand, Penny Cliffin, Malcolm Angus and Caroline McCurdie together with Linda Keesing-Styles and Ray Meldrum) decided that being a dumbie is no longer tenable and we have called upon Thom Cochrane to help. We meet once a week and our goal is to delight ourselves - and also, maybe, to delight others when we present our journey and destination at the Teaching and Learning Symposium in October.
We are using this Wikispace to record our pathway. Some of us have already fallen by the wayside. Sister Caroline withdrew really early on because traffic problems conspired against her being able to join us at our 8am Tuesday starts. Then Brother Malcolm needed to pull out because health issues required him to reduce his commitments.
Nonetheless we expect him to be in the front row at the Symposium cheering us on - assuming, of course, that we present in the here-and-now.
So that leaves four of us (plus Thom) and quite a way to go. But before looking ahead, let's now go back to the beginning.
KICK-OFF: 3 MAY
We started on 3 May with a breakfast. Thom arrived late and ate carrot cake. We wondered if our engagement with all the technology stuff would make us strange too. Here's some of the things we said at the breakfast about why we were there:
Laraine: 'I have a burning desire to learn this stuff and never created the space to do it. I admit it's an excuse. I really like it and want to do it. I'm excited about working as a group so we can help each other.'
Malcolm: 'The idea of dedicating time to it is important. There are so many other things to do and make excuses for. I desperately want to learn and don't care what it is. For me it's the sheer embarrassment of seeing what students can do to enhance their work.'
Linda: 'I'm out of touch especially when I see what my kids can do. I haven't had the motivation to get started. I'm always keen to find new ways to enhance learning. I'm anxious that maybe technology can overshadow good pedagogy but know that's probably not true.'
Caroline: 'Everything's e-.... these days. Where's it all going?'
Penny: 'Our program needs more flexibility. It's where we have to go especially for students who struggle to make it to class. I've avoided it till now. I've seen people dive in and get burned. So I've waited till the bugs are ironed out!'
Ray: 'It's like a foreign language. I'm really anxious about it all but I have to make a start.'
Thom's video intro (from youtube ) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jn0HBIkF_U
OTHER PLACES
In this section we provide some other places where you can find our stuff.
First of all we have another Wikispace where we have listed and explained the various tools we have been using: http://ltxserver.unitec.ac.nz/mediawiki/index.php/DummiesDelight
Our blog addresses:
http://pennydd.blogspot.com (Penny)
http://technological-delight.blogspot.com (Linda)
http://raysdelight.blogspot.com/ (Ray)
Our Flickr photo addresses:
http://www.flickr.com/services/feeds/photos_public.gne?id=68388433@N00&format=rss_200 (Linda)
http://www.flickr.com/photos/94869228@N00/ (Ray)
EARLY DAYS
Linda Says ... I've pasted in here some of my postings from my blog that track my thinking in the early days. Note the difference between May 22 and May 31!''
MONDAY, MAY 15, 2006
Hi Team, Well here we are on week two and it seems we have all encountered some difficulties with remembering what we did last week and what the links were and which page we were on and which site we were on and who we are and ... ! It is a bit of a minefield for the novice but lots can be found out by playing around. I remember when I first starting using computers I was terrified to do things in case the computer crashed or I lost information. Years on it is easier to play around without that fear and know that, generally, nothing drastic will happen. However, it can be frustrating when we can't remember. Interruption imminent - come back later.
MONDAY, MAY 22, 2006
Hi All, Well what a morning that was. I have been keeping up - just - until this morning. You said it perfectly Ray. I managed to get to the end of the session but I felt like I was just 'going through the motions' without a full understanding of what I was doing. I understand what we were doing and why but I'm not sure I will be able to repeat it all in the comfort and safety of my own home. We will wait and see. I think it is perfect that we will do a revision session next week and bring Malcolm up to speed. That will be an excuse for me to catch up too. I do think it is fab though that we are all struggling and support each other.
WEDNESDAY, MAY 31, 2006
It is very easy to let the words roll off your tongue now. At the BoS today, I listened to Ray talk about Blogs, Flickr, RSS, Newsgator, Wikis etc as if they were words and concepts we had known forever. The words are easy. Some of the concepts are easy. Some are still complex and, while I can achieve some things independently, I am still not 100% clear about working my way painlessly and seamlessly around these. I can only assume that, like other technologies I have mastered in the past, it will become second nature with use. There is no doubt we've progressed enormously. But in helping Malcolm with some updates yesterday, I realised that I'm only just remembering some of the concepts. It is the use it or lose it concept.
CHAT: 14 JUNE
Here's an extract (minus the colours!) from our first serious (well sort of) chat via Messenger outside class time:
Linda says: Change your font colours people so it is easier to follow
malcolm says: Ok will do
Penny says: This doesn't really suit serious stuff ie long bits of content does it?
Ray says: I've forgotten how to change colour
Ray says: No
Linda says: Ray just click on the big A
Penny says: Font
malcolm says: Am happy with the fushia
Ray says: I've claimed red
Linda says: YESSSS
Penny says: Damn you got in first
Ray says: Theres the quick and the dead on this
Penny says: I'll take blue this time
Linda says: Oh is Penny dead?
Penny says: Not on your nelly
PODCASTING: 20 JUNE
Today only Laraine and Ray were in class.
Thom introduced us to Podcasting and iPods and it blew our minds. It's far more complex than anything we have done so far. It's also incredibly exciting. We are going to download iTunes to our computers and have a play. It's all good stuff with potential for social and work uses, but it could also become to a huge consumer of time.
Stop Press On Thursday Sir set us some extra homework via Blackboard Announcements. He's never done that before. He's asked us to download Flock too. It feels a wee bit intrusive. We were even sent an email advising us about the announcement. He's everywhere!
FLOCK: 27 JUNE
Only Penny and Ray this time. We worked out how to used Flock for accessing our Blogs, Flickr and a few other things. No class next week as everyone is on leave.
ELGG: 18 JULY
Linda (back from the Caribbean),
Penny (back from Wellington)
and Ray (been no-where). Not sure what Elgg stands for but it's all about e-portfolios. They seem to integrate lots of other tools and they really are amazing. Good for individuals, groups and institutions. They have serious possibilities for student project work which they can also show to prospective employers when they apply for jobs. Perhaps for the VET Division too for us to bring together our innovations. Maybe even for publishing our research. Hmmmmmmm. But first we need to put lots of time into working our way around all the bits and pieces of component parts. And that could take quite a while.
DIGITAL VIDEO (DV): 25 July
Laraine still in Rarotonga. Huh! Penny's landscape design program staff have made a start. It will be interesting to learn about the delights and and frustrations of their journey. We made some decisions today about our Symposium presentation on 4 October. Thom got us started on digital video. Had to do it on (scary) Macs. Each of us filmed a few bits and pieces and we got into www.youtube.com where we can download (or upload!) footage (or is that an inappropriate metaphor for digital?). No idea how to edit bits into a whole. That's next week.
ON-GOING MUSINGS (27 July)
I note the scariness still sneaks in for some of us. I had the same response to working on the Mac and found myself constantly asking Thom questions. But there is a much greater sense of comfort with just working our way around the technology now and being brave enough to push buttons and go to places that we wouldn't have considered some time ago. I find myself using much of the technology on a regular basis. Now have to compete with my daughters for the use of MSN! Have been able to show friends in far-away places my trip photos through Flickr. It is great really. It is good to think also about the application of this to other arenas and there is progress there too. Linda
STALLED OR STOKED?
The following is from Linda's Blog - 3 August
It is quite some time since I have been in here and posted - mostly because I have been focused on other technologies and tools or just plain busy. I am inspired because I came in through Newsgator and my feeds indicated Penny had been testing out sending a blog message from her palm. How clever! Then I checked my BBC RSS feed and read something about Castro in Cuba and that reminded me too of my trip. So the technologies are the catalysts for writing again.
I've struggled with staying connected and enthused with D2D over the last few weeks but keen to start to put together our presentation starting next week. I must see if I can copy this message to our shared wiki as it is a good indicator of progress.
1 AUGUST: PREPARATIONS FOR SHOW-TIME BEGIN
Today we covered one last trick - how to add to our blogs from our mobile phones. It's dead easy and is set up by going to letmeparty.com. It is especially useful for students who are into texting big time but are less likely to make the effort to go directly into their blog. It's the last trick because today we started to plan our symposium presentation. We won't revel anything until show-time on October 4.
17 AUGUST - HARD OUT PLANNING
Can you believe what we are doing? After a little down time, things are exciting and heady as we begin putting together our presentation. This is the meaty stuff because it means we have to think about what we have learned, pull it together somehow and make sure that it is all pedagogically sound for a symposium presentation. Today we went back to our home territory where it all began at Kreem and we were so comfortable and conversant with the technology that we hardly felt like we were the same people. We laughed at ourselves as we bandied words around that were not only mysterious but absolutely unknown a few months ago. And we know what they mean! We still need Thom for some things and he helps us out when we're not sure but we are not the tentative 'dummies' we were not long ago. Now the real challenges begin as we work out links and multiple windows and connections and things.
View slideshow of pics here. (http://picasaweb.google.com/thomcochrane/Dummies2Delight/photo#s4964174487788388370)
YouTube Video here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-jn0HBIkF_U)
5 September - Video conference test
GETTING THINGS SORTED
Ray got back from Bali
and we are all together again for the first time in what seems like ages. And suddenly it's 'Holy shit - the Symposium is only a few weeks away!' Everyone has now been been assigned jobs to do, and next week we have planned two sessions to start to bring it all together.
RUN THROUGH
Today we finalised the script and got all the technology sorted. We then had a run through and it went pretty well.
Next time we meet will be for the dress-rehearsal the day before the Symposium!
