Ron, I actually posted on your blog today, I had one little question about your PLE definition. I was curious why you limited it to digital stuff..
But your comments about VLE's: Agreed!! This is a link to Leigh Blackall's internet comic.
http://flickr.com/photos/leighblackall/sets/1733041/show/ There probably is a way to embed the slideshow, but I don't know how to do it.
You say: From Re: Into tools . . . by rlubensky on Monday, 4 June 2007 7:30:00 p.m.:
The main barrier, as I wrote, is control. How do we motivate university or corporate ICT administrators to open up a walled garden that they believe is theirs to control and keep safe?
How indeed!! ??
Derek Chirnside
Posts made by Derek Chirnside
From Re: Welcome . . . by emmadw on Monday, 4 June 2007 8:31:00 a.m.:
That's where I'd see something like Elgg, Plex or Facebook being the starting point.
Pretty quick we have got into a discussion of tools. The technical side of things.
I'll add one more: James Farmer makes a case for WPMU - Wordpress Multiuser as an option. Wordpress is one of the most popular open source blogging tools, but it has incredible flexibility to add pages, and from the dashboard to add items (like feeds, links etc) to the home page)
But: this begs the question. What is a PLE?
Derek is actually writing a short paper as part of his normal day job that may appear here soon. But a little preview.
There are clearly at least two views of PLE's on we we get technical.
Brenda's question From Re: Welcome . . . by harpsouth on Monday, 4 June 2007 5:15:00 a.m.: Is there a place where one might see a sample? does not quite have a simple answer. I had this romantic view of a few field trips to vist during our time together.
So to with Amy's question: From Re: Welcome . . . by ajs on Monday, 4 June 2007 10:14:00 a.m.: Can an LMS (Learning Management System - or a VLE - Virtual Learning Environment) be extended to provide some of the benefits of a PLE as well? :-)
Comments?
That's where I'd see something like Elgg, Plex or Facebook being the starting point.
Pretty quick we have got into a discussion of tools. The technical side of things.
I'll add one more: James Farmer makes a case for WPMU - Wordpress Multiuser as an option. Wordpress is one of the most popular open source blogging tools, but it has incredible flexibility to add pages, and from the dashboard to add items (like feeds, links etc) to the home page)
In fact, I reckon that right now we’re limited pretty much only by our imagination and ambition, and in tools like Elgg and WPMU we’re not far off cracking it. Yeh, major institutions aren’t going to start switching their LMSs to our PLEs any time soon and yes security, ip, maturity and (above all IMO) the structuralist transmissive models that LMSs on the whole play up to and re-enforce make this a difficult journey, but having said all that…. stranger things have happened.
[http://incsub.org/blog/2006/the-inevitable-personal-learning-environment-post]
But: this begs the question. What is a PLE?
Derek is actually writing a short paper as part of his normal day job that may appear here soon. But a little preview.
There are clearly at least two views of PLE's on we we get technical.
- An application. (Please correct my lingo here Derek) Like Elgg, Plex, Facebook, WPMU.
- Or a collection of tools. Just have a home page of some sort (like Netvibes as Derek suggests) where you link to your suite of tools.
Stephen Downes is strong on this view.
Brenda's question From Re: Welcome . . . by harpsouth on Monday, 4 June 2007 5:15:00 a.m.: Is there a place where one might see a sample? does not quite have a simple answer. I had this romantic view of a few field trips to vist during our time together.
So to with Amy's question: From Re: Welcome . . . by ajs on Monday, 4 June 2007 10:14:00 a.m.: Can an LMS (Learning Management System - or a VLE - Virtual Learning Environment) be extended to provide some of the benefits of a PLE as well? :-)
Comments?
Wow. This is what comes of living in a 'downunder' timezone. You wake up and come online to a LOT of buzzing ideas.
In thinking about the possible directions of the conversation Derek W came up with a couple of themes for conversations.
One was to consider our patterns of behaviours: our practices, the developing of our own personal ecology of learning, our choice of tools - or not - our own PLE.
Sylvia captures a little of this in her post a year ago:
Maybe we all have a PLE of sorts. :-)
This is actually at the heart of some of the debate. Is a PLE a thing, a collection of things, or an attitude?
I very nearly moved Sylvia and Derek's posts over to here . . .
Sylvia says: From collecting information feeds for yourself and others? by scurrie on Monday, 4 June 2007 2:20:00 p.m.:
Help! Why am I having a hard time getting personal about this?
You've heard a little of Derek's story:
From Re: collecting information feeds for yourself and others? by dwenmoth on Monday, 4 June 2007 3:26:00 p.m.:
I tend to regard that as my PLE - a sort of on-line and off-line combination.
Interesting eh? - we are stretching the boundary a little here, but what does your Personal Learning Environment look like?
In thinking about the possible directions of the conversation Derek W came up with a couple of themes for conversations.
One was to consider our patterns of behaviours: our practices, the developing of our own personal ecology of learning, our choice of tools - or not - our own PLE.
Sylvia captures a little of this in her post a year ago:
What just struck me is how much we benefit from having access to other people's personal learning environments. How other people draw connections, decide what's important, and interpret what they come across in their own daily routines through commentary, can be so intriguing. In many ways how individuals structure their PLEs is as valuable as the information.
Maybe we all have a PLE of sorts. :-)
This is actually at the heart of some of the debate. Is a PLE a thing, a collection of things, or an attitude?
I very nearly moved Sylvia and Derek's posts over to here . . .
Sylvia says: From collecting information feeds for yourself and others? by scurrie on Monday, 4 June 2007 2:20:00 p.m.:
Help! Why am I having a hard time getting personal about this?
You've heard a little of Derek's story:
From Re: collecting information feeds for yourself and others? by dwenmoth on Monday, 4 June 2007 3:26:00 p.m.:
I tend to regard that as my PLE - a sort of on-line and off-line combination.
Interesting eh? - we are stretching the boundary a little here, but what does your Personal Learning Environment look like?
Welcome to our seminar for June, Personal Learning Environments.
Over the last year or so, the subject of Personal Learning Environments came up several times as part of other SCoPE conversations.
A few random quotes:
Informal Learning: May 15 - June 4, 2006 - scurrie on Friday, 9 June 2006 2:42:00 p.m.:
What just struck me is how much we benefit from having access to other people's personal learning environments. How other people draw connections, decide what's important, and interpret what they come across in their own daily routines through commentary, can be so intriguing. In many ways how individuals structure their PLEs is as valuable as the information. Personal Learning Environments are obviously valuable for the individual, but maybe "personal" is the wrong label if others are benefiting as well?
jaycross on Friday, 9 June 2006 5:30:00 p.m.:
Sylvia, I find personal the apt term and I agree that looking into one another's PLEs is a great learning experience. I've been playing around with recording some of my navigation on screen and replaying it as "a look over my shoulder." We all use so many shortcuts and online tools that a three-minute look over anyone's shoulder may show you how to save hours.
Blogging to Enhance Learning Experiences: February 12-25, 2007: terrywassall on Monday, 12 February 2007 9:26:00 a.m.:
In particular I am interested in how I and students can develop a more personal learning environment outside of the more restricted institutional VLE.
Learning the Art of Online Facilitation: March 1-21, 2007: berthelemy on Monday, 22 January 2007 5:59:00 a.m.:
Regarding the second question, I think about my own experiences of writing responses to things on my blog, or as comments on other people's blogs, or in forums like this. I also have bookmarks kept in Diigo; three email clients where I keep archives of conversations; as well as various file storage mechanisms. Is the search engine really the only way we can try to keep track of things? What about content and conversations that are hidden behind a login? The concept of the Personal Learning Environment seems beguiling, but for the moment do we need to live with the fact that our online lives are not very easily connected? What happens then to those people who find working online difficult to start with?
From Live chat breadcrumbs - transparent facilitation by nnoakes on Monday, 19 March 2007 12:35:00 a.m.:
There were a number of key ideas I left with from our live chat/conf call, such as:
* Complexity - facilitation, technologies, life
* Proliferation - of tools, of knowledge
* Fractured/fracturing/fracturati
Over the last year or so, the subject of Personal Learning Environments came up several times as part of other SCoPE conversations.
A few random quotes:
Informal Learning: May 15 - June 4, 2006 - scurrie on Friday, 9 June 2006 2:42:00 p.m.:
What just struck me is how much we benefit from having access to other people's personal learning environments. How other people draw connections, decide what's important, and interpret what they come across in their own daily routines through commentary, can be so intriguing. In many ways how individuals structure their PLEs is as valuable as the information. Personal Learning Environments are obviously valuable for the individual, but maybe "personal" is the wrong label if others are benefiting as well?
jaycross on Friday, 9 June 2006 5:30:00 p.m.:
Sylvia, I find personal the apt term and I agree that looking into one another's PLEs is a great learning experience. I've been playing around with recording some of my navigation on screen and replaying it as "a look over my shoulder." We all use so many shortcuts and online tools that a three-minute look over anyone's shoulder may show you how to save hours.
Blogging to Enhance Learning Experiences: February 12-25, 2007: terrywassall on Monday, 12 February 2007 9:26:00 a.m.:
In particular I am interested in how I and students can develop a more personal learning environment outside of the more restricted institutional VLE.
Learning the Art of Online Facilitation: March 1-21, 2007: berthelemy on Monday, 22 January 2007 5:59:00 a.m.:
Regarding the second question, I think about my own experiences of writing responses to things on my blog, or as comments on other people's blogs, or in forums like this. I also have bookmarks kept in Diigo; three email clients where I keep archives of conversations; as well as various file storage mechanisms. Is the search engine really the only way we can try to keep track of things? What about content and conversations that are hidden behind a login? The concept of the Personal Learning Environment seems beguiling, but for the moment do we need to live with the fact that our online lives are not very easily connected? What happens then to those people who find working online difficult to start with?
From Live chat breadcrumbs - transparent facilitation by nnoakes on Monday, 19 March 2007 12:35:00 a.m.:
There were a number of key ideas I left with from our live chat/conf call, such as:
* Complexity - facilitation, technologies, life
* Proliferation - of tools, of knowledge
* Fractured/fracturing/fracturati
on (not a word but should be) - as a consequence of proliferation and complexity, inclusion-exclusion
* Expectations - mis-match (gulf? chasm?), management (solving it needs immersion)
* Faciltator's role - baggage of transmission approach (connects to expectations too), knowledge capturing and sensemaking, glue, collaborator - and how to spread role to others
* Learner and learning center stage - starting point of shared value of learner driven, e.g. personal learning environment (PLE)
* Tensions - (i) conforming to one tool vs. multiple tools, (ii) focus on individual vs. focus on group, (iii) being together vs. being apart - level of commitment needed for being together
From Re: Online Facilitation - the next 10 years (where do we go from here?) by hondomac on Thursday, 15 March 2007 6:07:00 a.m.:
I think that the increased use of Web 2.0 tools and technologies (and Web 3.0, 4.0 , etc....) will add a greater "social" aspect to online learning and online facilitation. What this means to me is that as an online facilitator I will be able to engage learners in ways that I have not even fully thought out or realized yet, and they will be able to engage each other in ways not yet fully explored, resulting in a much richer learning experience with a collective approach to information gathering and dissemination.
Learners will develop their own personal learning environments (PLEs) around tools and technologies that they want to use rather than tools assigned or provided to them. This means as a facilitator I will have to be aware of these diverse tools and technologies.
On reading this small assemblage of quotes I think there is a lot to tease out already. !!
And just for fun I found this while I was trolling the archives, a quirky take on PLE's . . .
As usual, we will have opportunity to tell stories, share ideas and explore new thoughts together. You are invited introduce yourself and tell a little of your interest in this topic (probably not the first introduction if you are a regular here!!). I'm not going to dive in with PLE definitions, further questions or directions just yet, but if you have things to start us off, go ahead!!
If you are really new to SCoPE seminars, you are particularly welcome.
Soon we will open up two further threads, two dimensions for our thinking: the behavioural and the technical aspects of this diverse and multifaceted topic . . .
With regards, Derek (Chirnside)
* Expectations - mis-match (gulf? chasm?), management (solving it needs immersion)
* Faciltator's role - baggage of transmission approach (connects to expectations too), knowledge capturing and sensemaking, glue, collaborator - and how to spread role to others
* Learner and learning center stage - starting point of shared value of learner driven, e.g. personal learning environment (PLE)
* Tensions - (i) conforming to one tool vs. multiple tools, (ii) focus on individual vs. focus on group, (iii) being together vs. being apart - level of commitment needed for being together
From Re: Online Facilitation - the next 10 years (where do we go from here?) by hondomac on Thursday, 15 March 2007 6:07:00 a.m.:
I think that the increased use of Web 2.0 tools and technologies (and Web 3.0, 4.0 , etc....) will add a greater "social" aspect to online learning and online facilitation. What this means to me is that as an online facilitator I will be able to engage learners in ways that I have not even fully thought out or realized yet, and they will be able to engage each other in ways not yet fully explored, resulting in a much richer learning experience with a collective approach to information gathering and dissemination.
Learners will develop their own personal learning environments (PLEs) around tools and technologies that they want to use rather than tools assigned or provided to them. This means as a facilitator I will have to be aware of these diverse tools and technologies.
On reading this small assemblage of quotes I think there is a lot to tease out already. !!
And just for fun I found this while I was trolling the archives, a quirky take on PLE's . . .
The month ahead . . .
Derek (Wenmoth) and I have talked on this topic quite frequently over the last few years. Through his blog (eg http://blog.core-ed.net/derek/personalisation/ ) and his work at Core Education (http://core-ed.net/) he has contributed regularly to the debate around PLE's. My interest comes through the challenges of meeting the needs of students at the place where I work - last year the Christchurch College of Education, and now the University of Canterbury. We both live in Christchurch, New Zealand. (although Derek is spending quite a lot of time in Malaysia at the moment).As usual, we will have opportunity to tell stories, share ideas and explore new thoughts together. You are invited introduce yourself and tell a little of your interest in this topic (probably not the first introduction if you are a regular here!!). I'm not going to dive in with PLE definitions, further questions or directions just yet, but if you have things to start us off, go ahead!!
If you are really new to SCoPE seminars, you are particularly welcome.
Soon we will open up two further threads, two dimensions for our thinking: the behavioural and the technical aspects of this diverse and multifaceted topic . . .
With regards, Derek (Chirnside)
Nick: From one of may favourite websites: http://www.infed.org/thinkers/et-rogers.htm#contribution
Leadership as status (bigger office with a free carpart) is different to leadership as function.
Leadership that holds onto itself and it's goals in the wrong way hinders dialogue.
In my thinking anyway.
I have chosen to actively use the term leadership in my work. Emergent leadership (based on who you are and your expertise - not mere formal position) - Servant leadership (As in the work of Robert Greenleaf) Hero to Host (Margaret Wheatley) - I see this as reclaiming the role from where it has been ruined by politics, power and money.
But I've not read the readings Cindy. I may be way out of left field. :-)
David Bohm sets out three basic conditions for Dialogue:
And this:Participants must suspend their assumptions. ‘What is essential here is the presence of the spirit of dialogue, which is in short, the ability to hold many points of view in suspension, along with a primary interest in the creation of common meaning’ (Bohm and Peat 1987: 247). Suspending an assumption does not mean ignoring it, but rather ‘holding it in front of us’ ready for exploration. (This links very closely with Gadamer’s view of pre-judgements).
Participants must view each other as colleagues or peers. Dialogue occurs when people appreciate that they are involved in a mutual quest for understanding and insight. ‘A Dialogue is essentially a conversation between equals’ (Bohm et. al. 1991).
In the early stages there needs to be a facilitator who ‘holds the context’ of dialogue. ‘Their role should be to occasionally point out situations that might seem to be presenting sticking points for the group, in other words, to aid the process of collective proprioception, but these interventions should never be manipulative nor obtrusive’ (Bohm et. al. 1991). They continue, ‘guidance, when it is felt to be necessary, should take the form of "leading from behind" and preserve the intention of making itself redundant as quickly as possible’.
Freedom to Learn brought together a number of existing papers along with new material - including a fascinating account of 'My way of facilitating a class'. Significantly, this exploration brings out the significant degree of preparation that Rogers involved himself in (including setting out aims, reading, workshop structure etc.) (Barrett-Lennard 1998: 186). Carl Rogers was a gifted teacher. His approach grew from his orientation in one-to-one professional encounters. He saw himself as a facilitator - one who created the environment for engagement. This he might do through making a short (often provocative, input). However, what he was also to emphasize was the attitude of the facilitator. There were 'ways of being' with others that foster exploration and encounter - and these are more significant than the methods employed. His paper 'The interpersonal relationship in the facilitation of learning' is an important statement of this orientation (included in Hirschenbaum and Henderson's [1990] collection and in Freedom to Learn). The danger in this is, of course, of underestimating the contribution of 'teaching'. There is a role for information transmission. Here Carl Rogers could be charged with misrepresenting, or overlooking, his own considerable abilities as a teacher. His apparent emphasis on facilitation and non-directiveness has to put alongside the guru-like status that he was accorded in teaching encounters. What appears on the page as a question or an invitation to explore something can be experienced as the giving of insight by participants in his classes
The right kind of leadership is there, hidden or explicit.
Leadership as status (bigger office with a free carpart) is different to leadership as function.
Leadership that holds onto itself and it's goals in the wrong way hinders dialogue.
In my thinking anyway.
I have chosen to actively use the term leadership in my work. Emergent leadership (based on who you are and your expertise - not mere formal position) - Servant leadership (As in the work of Robert Greenleaf) Hero to Host (Margaret Wheatley) - I see this as reclaiming the role from where it has been ruined by politics, power and money.
But I've not read the readings Cindy. I may be way out of left field. :-)