bronwyn hegarty

a great list deidre
we also encourage meaning making through the use of reflective writing techniques on blogs. often people create artifacts but they are lacking in reflection and insight - to me that is what makes something meaningful.

I have developed a three-step reflective framework as part of my Doctorate in Education thesis research.



The idea is to encourage reflective writing using a template so that users step through three steps of reflection - 1. Take notice and describe the experience - what you know, think feel, need, decisions; 2. analyse the experience - why the actions and decisions, reactions, 3. Take action - what learned and how will you use it - goals.

They use this framework and the template with prompts to create evidence for electronic portfolios. I am still analysing data but have anecdotal feedback from participants and students I have used it with, who have found it particularly useful if they didn't know how to write reflectively.

I am interested to find out how others are using portfolios in their teaching and learning.
Bronwyn

I team teach in In two courses and we use web 2 strategies to promote active participation, collaboration and communication.
The courses are:
1) design for flexible learning practice (http://flexiblelearningpractice.blogspot.com/) and
2) facilitating eLearning communities (http://online-learning-communities.blogspot.com/)

The strategies
 Each course has a blog for information, resources and announcements plus each participant keeps a weblog of their learning through the course - participants are encouraged to comment on each others blogs including the facilitators, wikiEducator is used for content and collaborative "barn building" and an email group is used for immediate contact.

We also have computer conferencing and at the moment are running a 10 min lecture series on online facilitation - details on the course blog facilitating eLearning communities (http://online-learning-communities.blogspot.com/) where most of the time is spent in question and discussion after the short presentation. this is working really well.

somewhere in the background is some discussion and content on Blackboard which is used to start people off because that is where they are comfortable.

I will post our assessments of blogs and wikis etc on the assessment forum.
bronwyn

hello everyone
lucky last? I am an educational developer at Otago Polytechnic in Dunedin, New Zealand. I assist academic staff to design and develop their courses for flexible learning. As such I am managing (juggling) a number of internally funded development projects. I am also a researcher and involved in several externally funded collaborative projects. For example, online information literacy modules at: http://oil.otago.ac.nz

In my "spare time" I also teach courses using web 2 strategies - more about this on the next forum - strategies for active learning. I am looking forward to sharing ideas and resources and picking up some new strategies for active learning online.
Bronwyn

all this talk about tools for networking and being connected in communities leads me to ask the question are people feeling disconnected as they strive to become more connected?

I have recently decided to spend more time with real flesh and blood, physically accessible friends and to ring fence my virtual networks as the number i belong to is taking up more and more time and impacting on my domestic harmony and peace of mind. I wonder if anyone else is feeling the same?

You may be interested in an article I read recently. here are a couple of excerpts:

"Jason Calacanis wishes he could be your Facebook friend, but he just can't. ....Calacanis now has several thousand friends, with more requests streaming in daily. He's tired. So on his blog this summer, Calacanis, 37, declared a Facebook moratorium. In the future he'll outsource his friend management to an intern."

"Ogheneruemu "O.G." Oyiborhoro ....is the George Washington University junior who holds the school's title of most Facebook friends -- 3,456 and counting." BUT who is the friend who helps him find an apartment....not his facebook buddies.
See:
 An Unmanageable Circle of Friends Social-Network Web Sites Inundate Us With Connections, and That Can Be Alienating
By Monica Hesse
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 26, 2007; M10

Bron

all this talk about tools for networking and being connected in communities leads me to ask the question are people feeling disconnected as they strive to become more connected?

I have recently decided to spend more time with real flesh and blood, physically accessible friends and to ring fence my virtual networks as the number i belong to is taking up more and more time and impacting on my domestic harmony and peace of mind. I wonder if anyone else is feeling the same?

You may be interested in an article I read recently. here are a couple of excerpts:

"Jason Calacanis wishes he could be your Facebook friend, but he just can't. ....Calacanis now has several thousand friends, with more requests streaming in daily. He's tired. So on his blog this summer, Calacanis, 37, declared a Facebook moratorium. In the future he'll outsource his friend management to an intern."

"Ogheneruemu "O.G." Oyiborhoro ....is the George Washington University junior who holds the school's title of most Facebook friends -- 3,456 and counting." BUT who is the friend who helps him find an apartment....not his facebook buddies.
See:
 An Unmanageable Circle of Friends Social-Network Web Sites Inundate Us With Connections, and That Can Be Alienating
By Monica Hesse
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, August 26, 2007; M10

Bron