Joyful Jubilant Learning

K-12 Online Conference

Focused primarily on education, the K-12 Online Conference has produced a wealth of resources applicable to anyone wanting to learn more about the possibilities of Web 2.0. Educators from around the world use wikis, podcasts, screencasts and video to communicate how they are using Web 2.0 tools to engage and teach students. The conference runs October 23 - November 4, 2006, but the resources will be available online long beyond the conference dates.

Here are some of the topics covered during Week 1:

• Wiki Collaboration
• Free Web Tools
• Blogs
• Internet Audio
• Social Networking
• RSS
• Podcasting
• i-learning
• Flickr
• Internet Video
• Moodle

For example, the session on wikis discusses the k12wiki, which uses a simple wiki tool named wikispaces.

Bookmark the Website, subscribe to the feed, and make time for some valuable exploration.

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Blaine Collins is the author of the Stronger Teams Blog, a place to explore useful ideas and strategies for improving teamwork, collaboration and team leadership in professional organizations.

The Kaona of our CONTENT

In just 3 more days, Joyful Jubilant Learning will be a month old.

I keep thinking about the word ‘content,’ and that we have envisioned JJLN as a “content network” for new learning. What exactly will that come to mean here?

So far, we have talked a good deal about what learning means to us, and I keep wondering, and imagining, about the goodies to result, i.e. about the CONTENT which will eventually be experienced, showcased, and archived here as a perpetual resource for new JJLN students and community members.

The word is in caps because it calls for that distinction: It didn’t take us long at all to realize that CONTENT will be all-important here.

I have the word ‘kaona’ in this posting’s title because that is the way I have most instinctively come to think of ‘meaning’ in the context of my Hawai‘i roots, and for our purposes here, I do believe it is a very liberating, empowering, and all-inclusive way to think about this, that is, about defining CONTENT.

Skills for Participatory Culture

I am working my way through Henry Jenkins' white paper "Confronting the Challenges of Participatory Culture: Media Education for the 21st Century". He collaborated on this report with Ravi Purushotma, Margaret Weigel, Katherine Clinton, and Alice J. Robison. He serialized the publication on his blog in six parts and offered the option of taking it all in one PDF file. I have the PDF for reference but choose to read it online in the serialized format.

 

The paper summarizes the skills required to succeed in the world as:

 

Play - the capacity to experiment with one's surroundings as a form of problem-solving

 

Performance - the ability to adopt alternative identities for the purpose of improvisation and discovery

 

Simulation - the ability to interpret and construct dynamic models of real-world processes

 

Appropriation - the ability to meaningfully sample and remix media content

 

Multitasking - the ability to scan one's environment and shift focus as need to salient details

 

Distributed Cognition - the ability to interact meaningfully with tools that expand mental capacities

 

Collective Intelligence - the ability to pool knowledge and compare notes with others toward a common goal

 

Judgment - the ability to evaluate the reliability and credibility of different information sources

 

Transmedia Navigation - the ability to follow the flow of stories and information across multiple modalities

 

Networking - the ability to search for, synthesize, and disseminate information

 

Negotiation - the ability to travel across diverse communities, discerning and respecting multiple perspectives, and grasping and following alternative norms

 

While the focus of this paper is on developing the educational environment for our children, I think there is much to be learned when applied to our own education and learning requirements.

 

While not creating a checklist or scorecard, I think this could serve to help us take our own stock as to where we are today. This should be our baseline.

 

What opportunities do I have in my development?

 

I feel I need to do some more Performance. I get a little of this with the writing on the multiple blogs I have, especially when I take a single topic and approach it from multiple perspectives. I think I need to do this more frequently.

 

Blogging in general, I think gives us opportunity to do Appropriation, especially where like this posting, I start with some one's idea or post and then apply it in a different or more personal way.

 

Do you follow?

 

The Collective Intelligence of JJLN will grow as we develop ourselves in these areas. To stretch. To reach for the stars, or the podcast, or the video (movie), or to network, or to play ....

 

 

 

 

Steve Sherlock is your collaboration teammate who believes commencement begins everyday.

 

 

Technorati Tags : Henry+Jenkins, participatory+culture, collaboration, community, learning

 

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How Large Is Your Dash?

I was fortunate to get this email from Viv Conant from Nightingale-Conant with an invite to visit and watch a short three minute movie titled, The Dash. This was the content of his email:

As Chairman of Nightingale-Conant, I occasionally read something that by-passes the brain and goes straight to the heart. Reading The Dash Poem was one of those times.

The Dash Movie takes only three minutes to watch, but those three minutes can truly change the way you think about life. I hope it will touch you as much as it touched me.

Turn up the volume on your PC then Click on the following link to watch The Dash Movie (or cut and paste into your browser):

http://www.the-dash-movie-poem.com

It will touch your heart.

Now I Have Another New BHAG

For about a decade I have been wondering if I could create a 'movie' that would 'touch the heart' of business owners. Now more than ever, I feel the urgency to create a 'business movie' - something that touched the 'heart' as the Dash does.

I suppose I could do this myself but when I saw the movie, I immediately wanted to share it with you all. What I did not expect was the urging I felt to create a movie of my own and as I am writing this post I am wondering what we might be able to accomplish were we to collaborate on the message of the movie?

I guess I know what I want my 'project' to be. Anyone else feel so moved?

Mahalo 'Ohana

Confess in order to learn

Picked up a good quote from Beth's Blog:

You the students know more than I do the professor. Until that confession is made we will be shackled by our ignorance and pride. I say to my students, you know more about video than I do, but I know more about other things. Education has to be a partnership. As an aging hippy, I like this.

This quote is from an interview Beth did with Donald Marinelli.

What do you need to confess in order to learn?

Steve Sherlock is your collaboration teammate who believes commencement begins everyday.

Technorati Tags : ignorance, teacher, students, learning, recognition, confession, realization

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The Sunday Crossword and Shared Learning: A Love Story

Once I developed a love for words and vocabulary in the 80’s (see my previous post called “Jots and Iotas”) and started traveling a lot in the mid-90’s, I took an active interest in the daily and weekly crossword puzzles found in the NY Times and USA Today. They were a great way to pass the time on my long flights overseas.

 

I found that the puzzles were perfectly designed for addiction - they started very easy on Mondays, and then on every subsequent day of the week they became progressively difficult. It wasn’t long before I was asking perfect strangers on planes for “four letter words for dirty covering” (it was “soot”).

 

When I was home on the weekends I didn’t take on the famous NY Times Sunday puzzle, most probably because I had heard that this one was a “doozy”, and after a week of working I wasn’t much up for that intense of a mental exercise. So for several years this pattern continued, and the Sunday Puzzles were left untouched.

 

Then one day I was having an intense discussion with my wife about learning – she was not quite the reading maniac that I was, and was always relying on me to keep her up on the latest news and information I had read in the paper or saw on the evening news. She just never has been a big newspaper reader. But she was craving some sort of intellectual stimulation that didn’t involve me telling her the not-so-good-news that was typically in newspapers and on TV.

 

I certainly understood this, and thought hard about what she was looking for. Then, it hit me – the crossword puzzle. I suggested that the two of us take a crack at the Sunday Crossword so we could do something together and get the brain going at the same time. She was initially wary of doing such a “hard” thing because it could become frustrating, but after assuring her we could simply look things up on the Internet if we had to, we gave it a go.

 

The first time or two was indeed daunting, and we did have to look a lot of things up, but we soon found out we enjoyed the process, and better still, we were doing it with each other. This mental stimulation quickly became a weekly ritual, and as we got better at the NY Times puzzle (we now very rarely look up anything) we’d end up doing the Chicago Tribune syndicated version too.

 

I also found out my wife is perhaps a better “word-freak” as I am – since we started doing the puzzles, on the occasions I’ve dared to take her on at “Scrabble” she’s beaten me rather handily almost every time.

 

This ritual continues to this day- and our joint learning joyfully continues. So why is this also a love story? Because it enhanced our love of learning, and of each other – after all, what’s more romantic than hearing those words “honey, what’s a five letter word for....." , over your hot coffee on a Sunday morning?

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Terry Starbucker is an operations executive for a service company who lives in Connecticut, loves business trips to the Rocky Mountain west,  and posts his musings and observations about "the optimistic side of the daily grind" in Ramblings from a Glass Half Full.

Things that we cannot learn alone

I felt a sense of accomplishment in connecting the final cord and "booting" the new 286 PC. The monitor crackled, the fan at the back of the box hummed, and the hard drive (although I did not know its name at the time) seemed to crank in fits and starts as if it was searching for the proper gear. So began my personal computing experience.

I was not a knowledge worker at the time and never touched a computer by day. If the truth be known, I had no "real" reason for purchasing a PC when I did - unless you consider genuine curiosity to be a real reason (which I do). Besides curiosity, I sensed that the computing age had much more in store for me than I could possibly know at the time (which it has).

Without the support of computer training at work, my choices were limited for learning how to use this entirely foreign machine. There were no Internet training sites, nor late night infomercials touting DVDs and CD-Roms for in-home computer training. I couldn't fathom taking weeks of general education classes at the community college just to learn MS-DOS.

Instead, I took out the four thick manuals that came in the box with the PC (remember those manuals?) and started my self-education.  Page after page, I read it, tried it, and customized it where possible, until I had learned how to use almost every aspect of the PC and pre-loaded software (think MS Works).

Self-education worked because learning to use a computer is one of the things that we can learn alone.

Some things, however, cannot be learned alone; and for still other things, learning it is simply better when we share the learning experience with others.

Learning about interpersonal relationships, by definition, is a shared pursuit. Learning to give feedback... to coach... to tell jokes - all require that at least one other person be involved. Learning how to give and to take instructions, learning to lead, learning to love. These are face-to-face learning opportunities that teach much more than any books or manuals can possibly supply.

Things I put in the category of 'better when the learning is shared' include cooking a new recipe, trying out new plants in the garden, and learning a new musical piece to play or sing.  Although I don't personally sew, my mother tells me that quilting is all about learning new stitches and sharing the lessons with friends! 

I still get a kick out of learning a new software program or trying out the features of a new gadget, and I typically engage in such learning alone. Yet more importantly these days, I find learning with others (family, friends, colleagues, and now virtual neighbors) much more rewarding than almost anything that I can do alone.  What about you?

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Blaine Collins is the author of Stronger Teams, a blog about teams, collaboration and team leadership. Exploring useful ideas and strategies for improving teamwork in professional organizations, he draws upon three decades of managing, leading, and participating with teams in various businesses and the public sector.

Are We Relationship Geeks or Networking Geeks? Does it Matter?

Are we a Community or a Network or both? Does it matter whether we call ourselves a network or a community? Why does this distinction matter? Answering this question will be a process and will evolve as we grow - but I am jumping ahead - I am not sure I have the answer to these questions but I wanted to share what I have been learning.

We started home schooling our 13 year-old son and as a result we have been learning many things. You might be thinking, "What has this got to do with your Community or Network question, Greg?"

Since I first began to seriously consider home schooling I have been thinking a lot about community. I live in Edmonton, AB Canada - the fifth largest and northernmost 'major Canadian city'. Our community thrives on four full seasons - one of which is winter. :)

We live in the suburb of Millwoods, our home is located across the street from the community hall - yet I only know my neighbors by sight since I have not actually met most of them. Just a bit ironic. Since starting home schooling I have been thinking about community because we now have the opportunity to expose our son to many more learning opportunities within the community.

I am pleased to be a part of the JJLN and then one day I sat up took notice of the last word in our name 'network'. What follows is not a criticism of our name but simply a reflection of my observations and learnings, which I hope will generate a joyful dialogue.

Personal Observations

In the last century we have moved from a community to a world of inter-connected networks. My parents were raised in a community and in some ways I was raised in a community - today I think the way we relate in suburban neighborhoods resembles a network more than than a community.

We network to support our kids sporting activities, selling coupon books, chocolates, or working Bingo's to raise funds. I bet most of us except the 'relationship geeks', do not know our neighbors really well - I know I don't that many. How about you?

I have to admit that I have always felt uncomfortable in networks. They seem unnatural - certainly I can get used to them - I have found it quite a challenge to get to know someone I have met through a network as opposed to someone within a community.

One of the things I have noticed in networks is there seems to be an extra level of formality, like we suppress everything except that which seems to 'fit' in the network. Don't get me wrong networks are efficient and they have a purpose - I am raising this issue to initiate a dialogue. I come at this believing that there is value in dialogue and as a result we will increase our awareness of the differences between network and community.

Why not both a Network and Community?

That is a good question. Duality brings split focus - especially since there is such a significant difference between network and community. Could a network become a community? I am not sure if I can point to an example but I guess it could. Consider this observation:

"As the Internet has grown, matured, and developed into an easy to use publishing platform. Adoption among what I will label the ‘relationship geeks’ is rapidly gaining momentum. These are people who are highly social, connected, networked, and naturally warm.

What makes them distinct from the technical geeks is their emphasis on the ‘relationship’. Information is important to them but secondary to building a relationship and connecting with real people." Via Relationship 2.0 and Why Link Love is Dying

"Relationship 2.0 is an idea, a concept, and more about defining and understanding the context of a group of people who march to the beat of a different drum. They are warm, sociable, and natural networkers. They influence others and their circle of influence can be quite wide and diverse." Via The Anatomy of Relationship in a 2.0 Community

I wrote the Relationship 2.0 series as my awareness of community and the importance of relationships was just beginning to grow. My awareness of community and place has grown substantially since then. What follows are observations and questions I am wrestling with, I hope you will continue to read...

5 Things I’ve Learned from Relating to People

From a Pink Apple perspective, the best breeding ground for human learning is relationships of all kinds, both positive and negative. 

As we learned from Terry Starbucker’s story of Brother George, our “teachers” - be they educators, mentors, or employers - have many facts to impart to us.  But HOW we learn them will depend on the quality of the relationship we share with that person. 

We can do it by embracing lessons offered willingly and with respect.  Or we will battle and learn lessons marred by scars from the abrasions and assaults inflicted by those with no respect.

If the best way we learn a lesson is to teach it, how do we pass on the teaching of both positive and negative lessons? 

1. There isn’t a scorecard on kindnesses and gifts shared between people.  If one person gives in some way, it doesn’t have to be measured and matched.  Giving kindness, support, and love or sharing gifts of self, good fortune, etc are “pay it forward” acts.
   
   In other words, what goes around comes around - somehow!  So there’s no need for me to keep tabs, I just need to keep giving in the tiniest of ways.
2. Humour will always help, even in the darkest of moments.  Humour isn’t humour if it’s at the expense of others.
   
   In other words, I need to use humour lightly, gently, and frequently!
3. It’s hard to listen to something I don’t want to hear.  But if I can put “me” aside long enough (and avoid preparing my response/defence in my mind), I can actually hear what the other person is trying to tell me.
   
   In other words, I’ll “get it” (whatever the “it” is) if I shut my mouth, and only open it to ask questions that’ll help me “get it” even better.  The bonus is that in “getting it”, and showing I have, I’m demonstrating enormous respect (and love, if I want to).
4. When figuring out matters financial, my time (and even my experiences) are as precious a commodity as are any dollars I might need to spend.
   
   In other words, if I only factor money into my considerations, it’s false economy - absolutely no doubt about it!
5. Contempt is THE most destructive behaviour in ANY relationship.  Persistent contempt is also the best predictor of that relationship’s imminent breakdown.
   
   In other words, nobody (no matter what their behaviour or flaws) deserves to be treated with contempt and disrespect, and if that’s happening, then take action or walk away!

My purpose in this posting is for us to start building a declaration of the MANY lessons we’ve all learned so we can stand up and be counted.

But I'm also aware that humans need to be regularly reminded of the lessons, or they can drift out of our conscious minds and thus impact on our behaviours.

So what have you learned from the respectful and the disrespectful lessons you’ve been given and have taught?

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Chris Owen is an Australian-based blogger and Couples Coach.  She helps couples put the "zing" back into their relationships.  Her conversational writing on relationships brings many readers to her blog Take A Bite. She and fellow Australian, Karen Wallace, are also co-authors of Save Our Xmas Sanity a book and blog filled with tips, techniques, resources, and even parties, to make Christmas easier.

i Tunes U

From Apple Computer, Inc:

Education beyond the classroom

"iTunes U* is a free, hosted service for colleges and universities that provides easy access to your educational content, including lectures and interviews 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

It’s the most powerful way to manage a broad range of audio or video content and make it available quickly and easily to students, faculty, and staff. And it is the only application that supports the overwhelmingly popular iPod. iTunes U also offers you the simplicity and mobility you expect from Apple because it is based on the same easy-to-use technology of iTunes Music Store.

Through iTunes U, users can download content to their Macs or PCs regardless of their location. They can then listen to and view content on their Mac or PC or transfer that content to iPod for listening or viewing on the go..."

Go over to Apple Education and check it out.

I've just learned that the University of South Florida is in the process of signing up with Apple, joining the likes of Standford, UC Berkeley and MIT.

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David Rothacker is the author of Rothacker Reviews, where he presents “Most Excellent Books, Businesses and Folks.”