Comments for Terry's Blog http://www.terrywassall.co.uk/terry technology enhanced and blended learning Sun, 06 Jul 2008 03:08:12 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 Comment on Challenging or conforming: the art of blended learning by Terry http://www.terrywassall.co.uk/terry/2008/06/21/challenging-or-conforming-the-art-of-blended-learning/#comment-121 Terry Wed, 25 Jun 2008 17:48:44 +0000 http://www.terrywassall.co.uk/terry/?p=102#comment-121 Hi My inclination is to reply 'yes' to your question about transition to University. Getting high school students to use a closed, controlled and managed VLE at their school may well be useful for operating in the closed, controlled and managed VLE they are likely to find at the University they go to. However, there is another step to becoming autonomous and self-reiant continuing adult learners throughout their working lives and beyond. This is the development of personal and social learning environment (PLEs and SLEs) beyond formal education. This is what I am most excited about partly because if think developing the networking and information literacy skills involved are increasingly important aspects of everyday life and citizenship these days. PLEs and SLEs will have many of the charactoristics and tools of the institutional VLE but will be under the control and 'ownership' of the individual who will also have much more choice over the substance and direction of their learning and engage with communities and networks on a much more equal and informal level. How we help students develop this aspect of their ongoing learning is not something that we address in HE very well yet. It wil lbe interesting to hear how your blended course goes. Do you have specific blended learning activities in mind? How will you blend traditional aspects of your teaching with activites in the VLE and resources beyond the school library? Hi

My inclination is to reply ‘yes’ to your question about transition to University. Getting high school students to use a closed, controlled and managed VLE at their school may well be useful for operating in the closed, controlled and managed VLE they are likely to find at the University they go to. However, there is another step to becoming autonomous and self-reiant continuing adult learners throughout their working lives and beyond. This is the development of personal and social learning environment (PLEs and SLEs) beyond formal education. This is what I am most excited about partly because if think developing the networking and information literacy skills involved are increasingly important aspects of everyday life and citizenship these days. PLEs and SLEs will have many of the charactoristics and tools of the institutional VLE but will be under the control and ‘ownership’ of the individual who will also have much more choice over the substance and direction of their learning and engage with communities and networks on a much more equal and informal level. How we help students develop this aspect of their ongoing learning is not something that we address in HE very well yet. It wil lbe interesting to hear how your blended course goes. Do you have specific blended learning activities in mind? How will you blend traditional aspects of your teaching with activites in the VLE and resources beyond the school library?

]]> Comment on Challenging or conforming: the art of blended learning by L Abrams http://www.terrywassall.co.uk/terry/2008/06/21/challenging-or-conforming-the-art-of-blended-learning/#comment-120 L Abrams Wed, 25 Jun 2008 16:39:07 +0000 http://www.terrywassall.co.uk/terry/?p=102#comment-120 I am high school teacher who has seen a trend in high schools turning to virtual classrooms and distance learning. In my own professional development I have sought out opportunities to increase my understanding on e-learning and I am in the process of developing a blended course for my high school students. Do you feel this is the proper trend in helping students transition to universities that offer blending learning? If students are exposed to blended learning at the primary school level will it translate to adult learners who are comfortable in e-learning? I am high school teacher who has seen a trend in high schools turning to virtual classrooms and distance learning. In my own professional development I have sought out opportunities to increase my understanding on e-learning and I am in the process of developing a blended course for my high school students. Do you feel this is the proper trend in helping students transition to universities that offer blending learning? If students are exposed to blended learning at the primary school level will it translate to adult learners who are comfortable in e-learning?

]]> Comment on The world’s a twitter by Thoughts on Twitter (hijacked from a comment) | reflections http://www.terrywassall.co.uk/terry/2008/04/19/the-worlds-a-twitter/#comment-66 Thoughts on Twitter (hijacked from a comment) | reflections Sat, 19 Apr 2008 15:21:54 +0000 http://www.terrywassall.co.uk/terry/2008/04/19/the-worlds-a-twitter/#comment-66 [...] Terry’s post today is one of those. I saw his tweet on the BBC story and then later saw, through my aggregator, that he had posted on it. I “clicked over” to read it in full and commented at length. So I thought I would re-post my comment over here and perhaps develop my thoughts more in time. I find twitter interesting also. So far my observations are that it seems to be a lot more personal than the blogs I follow. I follow several people on their blogs AND on twitter. It seems to me that when blogs first started, many of them were about “what I did today”. My guess is that blogs that “held up”, or are still active over a long period of time are more geared toward thoughtful reflection, news, and substantive issues (at least to the author). After all, how much navel-gazing can most people stand? To have a real conversation or feel that you are reaching people, you must soon branch out beyond yourself! (Well, unless you are a movie star. I guess there is ENDLESS fodder in celebrity lives). [...] [...] Terry’s post today is one of those. I saw his tweet on the BBC story and then later saw, through my aggregator, that he had posted on it. I “clicked over” to read it in full and commented at length. So I thought I would re-post my comment over here and perhaps develop my thoughts more in time. I find twitter interesting also. So far my observations are that it seems to be a lot more personal than the blogs I follow. I follow several people on their blogs AND on twitter. It seems to me that when blogs first started, many of them were about “what I did today”. My guess is that blogs that “held up”, or are still active over a long period of time are more geared toward thoughtful reflection, news, and substantive issues (at least to the author). After all, how much navel-gazing can most people stand? To have a real conversation or feel that you are reaching people, you must soon branch out beyond yourself! (Well, unless you are a movie star. I guess there is ENDLESS fodder in celebrity lives). [...]

]]> Comment on The world’s a twitter by A. T. Wyatt http://www.terrywassall.co.uk/terry/2008/04/19/the-worlds-a-twitter/#comment-65 A. T. Wyatt Sat, 19 Apr 2008 15:11:27 +0000 http://www.terrywassall.co.uk/terry/2008/04/19/the-worlds-a-twitter/#comment-65 I find twitter interesting also. So far my observations are that it seems to be a lot more personal than the blogs I follow. I follow several people on their blogs AND on twitter. It seems to me that when blogs first started, many of them were about "what I did today". My guess is that blogs that "held up", or are still active over a long period of time are more geared toward thoughtful reflection, news, and substantive issues (at least to the author). After all, how much navel-gazing can most people stand? To have a real conversation or feel that you are reaching people, you must soon branch out beyond yourself! (Well, unless you are a movie star. I guess there is ENDLESS fodder in celebrity lives). So will twitter follow? Right now, I see a lot of tweets that are stream of consciousness and much to do with "I am at Starbucks", "I am stuck in traffic". I really LIKE the tweets with links, such as "I found this cool new website". There is a thriving development environment producing tweet managing software--seems like a new one every day! (another thing you can follow on twitter, since posting sources are embedded in the tweets). So I am interested to see what the future brings. Will microblogging influence blogging? Or will tweet managers make twitter more like WordPress? I think I have just inspired myself and I had better go post this whole rant on my own blog! : ) I find twitter interesting also. So far my observations are that it seems to be a lot more personal than the blogs I follow. I follow several people on their blogs AND on twitter. It seems to me that when blogs first started, many of them were about “what I did today”. My guess is that blogs that “held up”, or are still active over a long period of time are more geared toward thoughtful reflection, news, and substantive issues (at least to the author). After all, how much navel-gazing can most people stand? To have a real conversation or feel that you are reaching people, you must soon branch out beyond yourself! (Well, unless you are a movie star. I guess there is ENDLESS fodder in celebrity lives).

So will twitter follow? Right now, I see a lot of tweets that are stream of consciousness and much to do with “I am at Starbucks”, “I am stuck in traffic”. I really LIKE the tweets with links, such as “I found this cool new website”. There is a thriving development environment producing tweet managing software–seems like a new one every day! (another thing you can follow on twitter, since posting sources are embedded in the tweets). So I am interested to see what the future brings. Will microblogging influence blogging? Or will tweet managers make twitter more like WordPress?

I think I have just inspired myself and I had better go post this whole rant on my own blog! : )

]]> Comment on Here Comes Everybody - bits and pieces 1 by Christopher D. Sessums http://www.terrywassall.co.uk/terry/2008/04/03/here-comes-everybody-bits-and-pieces-1/#comment-58 Christopher D. Sessums Tue, 08 Apr 2008 19:06:12 +0000 http://www.terrywassall.co.uk/terry/2008/04/03/here-comes-everybody-bits-and-pieces-1/#comment-58 I just started Shirky's text and after reading two chapters in, I must say I am loving it! I also like your reference above to the trouble with the enclosed silos we tend to work within. I find I pick up a lot of new ideas when I visit with colleagues outside of my department (and outside of my academic unit). While transdisciplinary research and activities are touted theoretically, I see very little of it in practice at my institution. I think I and others are missing out on a tremendous amount of pertinent work and information by being reconciled to a particular college or office (consilience, damnit!). I just started Shirky’s text and after reading two chapters in, I must say I am loving it! I also like your reference above to the trouble with the enclosed silos we tend to work within. I find I pick up a lot of new ideas when I visit with colleagues outside of my department (and outside of my academic unit). While transdisciplinary research and activities are touted theoretically, I see very little of it in practice at my institution. I think I and others are missing out on a tremendous amount of pertinent work and information by being reconciled to a particular college or office (consilience, damnit!).

]]> Comment on Here Comes Everybody - bits and pieces 1 by Robert Michel http://www.terrywassall.co.uk/terry/2008/04/03/here-comes-everybody-bits-and-pieces-1/#comment-56 Robert Michel Thu, 03 Apr 2008 09:50:53 +0000 http://www.terrywassall.co.uk/terry/2008/04/03/here-comes-everybody-bits-and-pieces-1/#comment-56 I just stopped by your blog and thought I would say hello. I like your site design. Looking forward to reading more down the road. Robert Michel I just stopped by your blog and thought I would say hello. I like your site design. Looking forward to reading more down the road.

Robert Michel

]]> Comment on Blending research and learning ecologies by Terry http://www.terrywassall.co.uk/terry/2008/03/19/blending-research-and-learning-ecologies/#comment-46 Terry Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:03:33 +0000 http://www.terrywassall.co.uk/terry/2008/03/19/blending-research-and-learning-ecologies/#comment-46 Hi. You're a glutton for punishment! You are my first ever commentor on this blog. Up to now all the comments have been ones I copied and pasted from Edupaces as the import as RSS only copied posts. Hi. You’re a glutton for punishment! You are my first ever commentor on this blog. Up to now all the comments have been ones I copied and pasted from Edupaces as the import as RSS only copied posts.

]]> Comment on First new post in Terry’s Blog (Wordpress) by Terry http://www.terrywassall.co.uk/terry/2008/03/03/first-new-post-in-terrys-blog-wordpress/#comment-45 Terry Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:57:17 +0000 http://www.terrywassall.co.uk/terry/?p=73#comment-45 Learnt on the 18th March 2008 that TIG will not be taking over Eduspaces so it is business as usual! Learnt on the 18th March 2008 that TIG will not be taking over Eduspaces so it is business as usual!

]]> Comment on Blending research and learning ecologies by A. T. Wyatt http://www.terrywassall.co.uk/terry/2008/03/19/blending-research-and-learning-ecologies/#comment-44 A. T. Wyatt Thu, 20 Mar 2008 14:26:11 +0000 http://www.terrywassall.co.uk/terry/2008/03/19/blending-research-and-learning-ecologies/#comment-44 Yes, please do post. I will even want to read the 1600 word version! : ) atw Yes, please do post. I will even want to read the 1600 word version! : )

atw

]]> Comment on Notes on George Siemens’ Elggradio podcast by Terry http://www.terrywassall.co.uk/terry/2005/08/23/notes-on-george-siemens-elggradio-podcast/#comment-43 Terry Wed, 19 Mar 2008 21:38:26 +0000 http://www.terrywassall.co.uk/terry/?p=67#comment-43 Since the original post the web address of the podcast is now http://eduspaces.net/elggradio/weblog/1814.html Since the original post the web address of the podcast is now http://eduspaces.net/elggradio/weblog/1814.html

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