October 17, 2006

OLDaily

Stephen Downes[Edit][Delete]: Learning Networks and Connective Knowledge - The Podcast, October 17, 2006
[link: Hits] MP3 Audio and PowerPoint Slides (the slides form a nice summary of the paper, if you didn't want to read the paper) from my session at the University of Prince Edward Island yesterday (also Skypecast, but notice came out so late I don't think we had any attendees). I thought it was a good session, not because of the quality of my discourse (in fact, there are some pretty awkward moments in there) but because it shows some of the thinks I need to think more deeply about. It was a pretty good back and forth - Dave Cormier kept saying, "This is great audio." Yeah well I guess it's good to see the points where people disagree with my theories and take apart my presentation. And I suppose it's good to post them on my website. [Tags: ] [Comment] [Edit] [Delete] [Spam]

Helen Barrett[Edit][Delete]: EIFE-L Conference 2006, E-Portfolios for Learning [Edit][Delete] October 17, 2006
[link: 1 Hits] Helen Barrett writes, "I took the opportunity to create a new graphic that describes a "mash-up" of different Web 2.0 tools that could be combined together for a powerful ePortfolio system, using a variety of online tools that students might already be using." Now I ask you - isn't this just the 'Future VLE' diagram? [Tags: ] [Comment] [Edit] [Delete] [Spam]

Mark Oehlert[Edit][Delete]: My New Favorite Thing: Anonymous Conference Reporting, E-Clippings [Edit][Delete] October 17, 2006
[link: 1 Hits] Funny (a style note: if I say it's 'funny' it's probably also darkly subversive - then again, I was called a neo-Marxist on ITForum today, which is a mangling either of the definition of of my writings). Oehlert writes of the recently posted anonymous conference review on the Learning Circuits blog, "Shockingly its also one of the most honest reviews I've read... What are the possible downsides? Character assasination? Lies? Hurt feelings? Admittedly all possible. What are the possible upsides? Idiotic sessions disappear from conference schedules never to darken our door again." [Tags: ] [Comment] [Edit] [Delete] [Spam]

Various authors[Edit][Delete]: The K-12 Online Conference 2006 Agenda, October 17, 2006
[link: Hits] This online conference started yesterday with a pre-recorded keynote by Dave Warlick (to me it's not a keynote unless it's live - but that's just me). It features a number of educational bloggers, mostly (as the title suggests) from the K-12 sector, and mostly from the United States (and not, as one commentator wrote, "top educational bloggers from around the world"). It's kind of like a 'Coming of Age', only presented as a conference. Oh hey wait, it's the same people! Who are - according to themselves - the leading edubloggers. As one person commented today - a 'co-prosperity sphere'. I prefer the term from Jerry Pournelle: the CoDominium. Anyhow - I aggregate more than 300 edubloggers (and leave out just as many again) and try to represent their contributions as fairly as I can in these pages. And that is to me the core of edublogging, not self-styled A-listers. But hey - attend the conference, listen to Warlick and Freedman and Fryer and McIntosh and the rest and judge for yourself. What do I know? Via Computer Science Teacher. [Tags: , , ] [Comment] [Edit] [Delete] [Spam]

Terry Anderson[Edit][Delete]: New Canadian ELearning Project Management Ebook, CIDER [Edit][Delete] October 17, 2006
[link: Hits] I haven't read it, but the CIDER recommendations are usually pretty good. "This book edited by Beverley Pasian and Gary Woodill, presents authors from both the corporate and educational sectors in eight different countries, to provide a total of 22 case studies of elearning project implementations." [Tags: , , , ] [Comment] [Edit] [Delete] [Spam]

Keri[Edit][Delete]: Summary of a Cmap, Writing for Myself: Writing to Teach [Edit][Delete] October 17, 2006
[link: Hits] My own explanation of the relation between blogs and learning, but this concept map has the advantage of representing what might be considered a much more mainstream view. "Blogs are a social tool with the potential to create collaborative communities. Readers comment, and thus, build knowledge on the subject. Readers and writers work together to add to knowledge." The main point where we agree, though, is in this: "Blogs allow writers to experience an authentic audience." Via Bud the Teacher. [Tags: , , ] [Comment] [Edit] [Delete] [Spam]

Artichoke[Edit][Delete]: Personalisation and the Mixed Age Merino, October 17, 2006
[link: Hits] Pretty much it: "the trick in all of this 'personalisation' stuff seems to be in figuring out who identifies the needs of the learner." [Tags: ] [Comment] [Edit] [Delete] [Spam]

Herbert van de Sompel[Edit][Delete]: An Interoperable Fabric for Scholarly Value Chains, D-Lib Magazine [Edit][Delete] October 17, 2006
[link: Hits] More on Object Reuse and Exchange (ORE). This article outlines some of the thinking behind ORE and offers a description of some of the major functions (or elements) of the new initiative. Again , I don't see anything particularly new here, except that is is creeping federation entering the world of OAI. And so I ask (as I did throughout the eduSource project) do we need a system of learning and research data exchange that is inaccessible to most people? Yes yes, I know, this sort of thing isn't explicit in the proposal. But why the use of OpenURL (which sends a different resource to people depending on the 'context' of the request)? The article says it plainly: "This work reflects growing interest in the notion of repository federation." Do we need some sort of special internet that consists of research libraries only? Mark my words. [Tags: , , , ] [Comment] [Edit] [Delete] [Spam]

Stephanie Dunnewind[Edit][Delete]: Schools Trying to Prevent Harassment in Cyberspace, Seattle Times [Edit][Delete] October 17, 2006
[link: Hits] Funny. "Mr. Scarpelli does not have a MySpace page, nor will he ever have a MySpace account." This article looks at the issue of fake teacher MySpace accounts in passing as it looks at the impact of the phenomenon on schools in general. "MySpace registered its 100 millionth user in August." Instead of just ignoring MySpace (or blocking it and pretending it doesn't exist) schools are beginning to address real issues - like spoofing and harassing - through education and, in some few cases, litigation. "The most important goals should be to 'stop the harm, get online material removed and heal the interaction.'" Via ASCD SmartBrief. [Tags: , ] [Comment] [Edit] [Delete] [Spam]

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Stephen Downes

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Stephen Downes

Copyright 2006 Stephen Downes
National Research Council Canada

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I want and visualize and aspire toward a system of society and learning where each person is able to rise to his or her fullest potential without social or financial encumberance, where they may express themselves fully and without reservation through art, writing, athletics, invention, or even through their avocations or lifestyle.

Where they are able to form networks of meaningful and rewarding relationships with their peers, with people who share the same interests or hobbies, the same political or religious affiliations - or different interests or affiliations, as the case may be.

This to me is a society where knowledge and learning are public goods, freely created and shared, not hoarded or withheld in order to extract wealth or influence.

This is what I aspire toward, this is what I work toward. - Stephen Downes