Crowdsourcing Small Pieces – An Invitation

David Weinberger’s 2002 ‘Small Pieces Loosely Joined‘ outlined what was important about the web, offering a framework for understanding its far-reaching effects on our lives and societies. The accompanying ‘kids’ version made the ideas accessible to a younger audience. I used it with my students for quite a few years and it was effective in helping them stop and think about something that they were beginning to take for granted.

Seven years later it feels slightly dated although the principles and central message still ring true- for me at least. A collaborative spruce-up with up-to-date examples and links could breathe new life into it and create a contemporary resource for use with young people.  (more…)

Future Classrooms Today – The Shopping Task…

You have an totally empty Year Six classroom space and want to turn it into an effective learning and teaching space fit for the 21st century (or the next 5 years at least). You’ve got £20,000 to make a start. Everyone in the school is on board with your vision for teaching and learning and you just have to put in the orders for what is required. What’s on your shopping list? What might you acquire with little cost?

Not enough money? Almost certainly. Don’t let that put you off making an effective start.

I’m working on a similar, if slightly more realistic, brief together with Tony Sheppard – aka Grumbledook – at the moment in Northants.  I’ve read case-studies on how existing primary classrooms have been transformed into effective learning spaces but have rarely seen the bill at the end of the process. Sometimes the involvement of interested educational companies, throwing in expertise and products for free, masks the actual costs of emulating such projects. I’m not averse to that kind of corporate involvement but is it possible to change learning spaces on a relative shoestring? Where to start? That’s where you come in… all ideas greatly appreciated.

Image Credit: Lainmoon

ECML Memories

I’m back in Graz at the ECML for a BLOGS project team meeting. I’ve been introduced to the Camilleri’s photo album which contains a few photos of past meetings. Here’s one for the scrapbook. Mario’s caption:

While after hours, Peter Ford and Ewan McIntosh discuss the joys of culinary blogging at our favourite haunt – Stacher’s.
“The zanderefillet mit pommes frits looks worth blogging about, Ewan” says Peter. “De.li.cio.us!” says Ewan.

Communicate.06 Conference

Scottish CILT’s 2006 Communicate.06 Conference was an exciting day of technology and teaching. One hundred foreign languages teachers and advisors came to build on their use of technology – whether to make links with partner schools, to inject new forms of creativity into the classroom, or to learn a new skill such as making a blog.

I thoroughly enjoyed myself, presenting my keynote live from a blog instead of using PowerPoint. I created the posts in draft beforehand and chose which to publish in turn. Perish the thought – I actually had to think during my presentation It was a great way of modelling the versatility of blogging as a tool.

I’ll find it hard to present any other way now. I love the idea of people being able to comment straight on to your presentation slides posts, either at the time or later. It allows a conversation to start and continue after the conference is over.

Actually the most striking thing for me is the fact that the conference is not over. The Saturday session was just the beginning of the support that will see many projects spring to life and be supported by the workshop leaders over the next few months. So often good ideas heard at a conference drain away in the reality of a classroom full of students on the following Monday morning, like water being poured into sand.

However, the MFLE is a platform for folks to receive support and ask questions to ensure that the projects get off the ground and flourish. Furthermore all the proceedings were podcast so people who were not there in person can also take part in this ongoing unconference. Ewan McIntosh, who did a brilliant job organising and presenting, has written about the conference from his perspective.

I also got to meet John Johnston of Sandaig Otters fame. He demonstrated that welcome combination of the down-to-earth and inspiring when chatting to folks about blogging and podcasting. Lynne from Tobermory was cool in the blogging session as well. David Muir whose blog I have enjoyed reading over the last months was also there and won a fiver for a blurry photo