Fundamentals: Taxonomies for Learning

One project I have for 2009 is to create a framework for Professional Learning (PL) at Macquarie University. I’m pretty happy to get asked to say the least. The course will offer 26 hours of PL. It will follow the Open University 13 week timetable. The course is Foundations of Web2.0. It uses the ‘back [...]

Creativity, Curiosity, Consideration, Consistency

This is a series of three posts that look at the history of ICT in schools and the learning frameworks that are working. Ever wondered how ICTs got the way they are in education? Part 1/3 Technology was originally used in schools for ‘drill and skill’ learning. It was a ‘science’ in the 1980s and [...]

Moshi Monsters

The PR blurb says : Moshi Monsters is a virtual world for children that allows users to adopt and care for their own pet monsters. Users create a home for their pet monster in Monstro City, play games and make friends, and show off their monster. It is not ‘new’ as such – but new [...]

Tweets from the RMS Titanic

History repeats – or so they say. Edward John Smith’s ship was thought un-sinkable until 1517 people died on the night of 14 April 1912 when it hit an ‘iceburg’. It used the most advanced technology available at the time – yet failed to recognise the significance of the warnings, but more importantly, communication technology. [...]

The 3Rs are now the 3Ts

Learning with Web2.0 requires a shift from Educational ICTs being user centered to learning centred. Software applications by their nature put the user at the centre. We ‘use’ software. We read the ‘user’ manual etc., Confusion occurs when attempting to differentiate between software and Web2.0 technologies. For example, ‘using’ a blog interface to write is [...]

Like Fire

In a Talk With Howard Rheingold and Will Richardson now on Ustream – I was particularly taken with their discussion on how social media impacts pedagogy. Rheingold talks about it acting like ‘fire’; ideas and interests to leap from one area to another quicker and faster than institutions can react and slow change may in [...]

Touch Typing or Curriculum Renewal?

20 years ago, schools understood that typing was an important. I even did typing class while studying a graphic degree, well before the advent of desktop publishing. 15 years ago, schools understood that typing with a computer and navigating graphical interfaces was important. We taught typing, it was on the time-table and used special applications [...]

Lara Croft is my new teacher

Lara Croft was perhaps one of the greatest teachers of all time. Tombraider was one of the games that redefined gaming through it’s immersive, strategic interactivity – together with a back-story and ‘cut’ scenes that rewarded players for perseverance and solving problems. Sure she has sex appeal, but that was not her biggest asset. Tombraider [...]

Wakoopa – Time of your (digital) life

This is a great little gadget, for mac and pc. Wakoopa is a widget with code you can embed online. At first glance, its a tool that watches how much time you spend with various applications. Great for finding out just how much time you’ve ‘wasted’ in Second Life or WoW perhaps. I think it [...]

Diigo Update (weekly)

Afro Brazillian Dance Course Tuggerah Lakes Kincumber Community College tags: no_tag Dance Training & Studios in KINCUMBER (NSW) : AussieWeb Local Search Dance Schools tags: no_tag Find a music class near to you on the Central Coast. Music teaching and learning opportunities keyboard lessons tags: no_tag Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links [...]