Only Connect

Edu-speak bingo

Stephen — 2005-11-07T18:39:00-08:00

Both Cherrie and Artichoke have recently noted the love affair educationalists have with jargon. Here's Cherrie on edu-speak:

there is so much jargon all over the place when it comes to education—too many cliches that people think they understand, but don't. It's ironic really, because it's a lot like school—if you remember the keywords to write in your answer, it mostly doesn't matter whether you understand it or not.

Meanwhile Artichoke, who is busy defending her reputation for anticipating edu-speak trends, is seriously considering bagsing Communities of Practice for 2006. For what it's worth, my money's on that perennial favourite: collaboration.

Storytelling across the pond

Stephen — 2005-11-06T14:51:00-08:00

From Bryan comes news of another e-twinning project. Trans-Pond leverages storytelling as a medium for cultural exchange between school kids from the North East of the United Kingdom and those in Canada (see the Frappr-powered Trans-Pond map). The project is the brainchild of Steve Thompson who writes:

I'll be shaping open source blogging software to create an interface that will allow 20 (10 UK, 10 Canada) schools to have their own blog We'll also be using our community media archive software developed here at Teesside Uni to allow a range of multimedia objects to be utilised in the storytelling.

More than my 2 cents worth

Stephen — 2005-11-04T02:16:00-08:00

I’m excited to have discovered Cherrieland thanks to David Warlick who added his 2 Cents Worth to a comment Cherrie left on his blog. (Funny how someone 10000 miles away can connect you with someone 100 miles away!)

Cherrie posts some very insightful observations on education from the point of view of a student. Her latest post, a comparison of formal and informal learning, makes sobering reading for teachers.

Of school Cherrie writes "you help each other but they call that cheating", in life "you basically never have to remember because [answers are] in books, pamphlets and websites." She continues, in life "everything is related", in school "English is in period one, Economics period two, maths period 3"

I love Lucy

Stephen — 2005-11-03T02:03:00-08:00

The folks at QUT and ANU are running an interesting project that connects isolated rural school children across the globe. Australian Aboriginal students from Cherbourg State School are learning about their Chinese counterparts in Fanchong Primary School through the sharing of digital stories (via Lucy’s Blog).

ZoomIn' marvellous!

Stephen — 2005-11-03T01:45:00-08:00

Just when I resigned myself to New Zealand getting Google Maps street level coverage sometime in 2010 the folks at ProjectX, who were less patient, have written their own AJAX-ed map of New Zealand (via Second pOst). ZoomIn Maps is bloomin' marvellous!

Where in the world

Stephen — 2005-10-27T20:50:00-07:00

Inspired by Josie's directory of edubloggers and Tom Techszewski's Where in the US is digital storytelling, I thought I'd create a directory of digital storytellers. So if you're a digital storyteller, add yourself to the map and help spread the word.

It's a small world

Stephen — 2005-10-26T20:04:00-07:00

Tip of the hat to Frappr chief publicist Josie Fraser who has created an international edubloggers directory reminiscent of Jo Murray's earlier attempt to map the Australian blogosphere using CMapTools. Josie is encouraging others to add themselves and advertise the map. Thanks to Josie's directory I've already discovered one more Kiwi edublogger!

Update: Jo pointed me to this directory of Australian edubloggers built using PBWiki.

All good things come in threes

Stephen — 2005-10-25T16:41:00-07:00

In one of those probability-defying moments of synchronicity that the blogosphere affords, three of my favourite education thinkers have been thinking the same thought.

Always delightfully thought-provoking, Artichoke borrows from Augusto Boal to describe intimidation of the spectator learning in which pre-scripted learning activities, "…for elimination of the 'bad'", offer learners little or no choice in their learning.

Artichoke is highlighting the same sort of classroom violence that Aaron Campbell has blogged to wide comment and which Chris Bigum calls repeated "organised child abuse" where "It is more important to be concerned about spelling skills of the young but less about how the system treats them and what the social consequences are."

If we are to overcome this Freirean institutional violence and encourage learners to engage in the process of inquiry then we must be prepared to give up control to allow the sort of environments that promote what Artichoke calls virtuous learning experiences, environments in which we acknowledge that sometimes the learner knows best.