Todays broadcast
Don’t forget todays LIVE edition of the Sounds of the Bazaar show. We will be broadcasting at 2000 Central European Summer Time, 1900 UK summer time. For other time zones just check the tiny urls in the news item below. Todays show features interviews with John Pallister form Wolsingham School on e-Portfolios and with Annika Matilda Bergstroem from Sweden. Our special guest is Matt Montgane who is going to be telling us about the forthcoming 24 hour Earthcast.
And for todays show we will also have a chatroom running in parallel. Just click on this link to enter the chat.
Don’t forget – you can listen to the programme by clicking here. This should open as a stream in your default MP3 player.
And if you missed yesterdays broadcast, an archive version is now on line..
Sounds of the Bazaar LIVE internet radio fest, maiden Flight +1
Congratulations Graham Marconi-Attwell – you should have listened to the conventional wisdom about not working with animals, —, or technology. BUT when you get it to work, what a powerful ‘thing’ teachers at the drop of a hat getting their students to set up a ‘radio’ broadcast involving people from all over the world; teachers, at the drop of a hat, broadcasting and collaborating with their colleagues from anywhere in the world, for free, what learning objectives will it not hit? – keep going Graham, but do let us know how to do it when you have sorted it! – it will take a while to sort out the ‘dropping the hat’ bit!
From my point of view, as someone being interviewed live, a nightmare. I could hear a question; I could answer it, and then what I said 3 minutes earlier came back into my head phones! – a bit difficult to concentrate and even more difficult decide what to say, when. I offer below a text version of what I thought I said!
MOSEP project – a Problem – Europe wide partners – need to work together, to communicate to develop things – need to use the tools to make it happen, that we did was to use the tools to collaborate, to communicate and to develop content.
To use the tools I had to master them, forced my professional development – my student see me using the tools as a natural part of my work, – I often leave Skype on during lessons – an incoming call from the other side of the world is often useful to prompt discussions – the project has resulted in our students having real face to face and online conversations with teachers from Austria, Poland, Germany, France, Bulgaria and New Zealand, AND Wales!
The Social networking bit has been useful – I now Know who I should talk to – who will know what I need know OR who will know somebody else who Will Know OR Know somebody else.
I struggled a bit with the Blogging, I was used to having an audience that responded to me and told me when I was talking rubbish – When Blogging I thought that I only had an audience if the audience posted comments – it was quite difficult to maintain the momentum or Motivation to Blogg when you think that no body is listening – you think that you have no Audience therefore to talk/to blog is pointless. BUT It appears that generally people, including regular Bloggers, do not post comments very often.
We are naturally listeners/watchers – we need motivation to contribute, to participate – this is true not just in our virtual world, but within our real communities – most community groups struggle to get active committee members etc – the virtual world is no different – citizenship education should really include encouragement to participate in virtual communities OR should it???
Graham knows that 50 + people watched Saturdays live broadcast and would expect by the end of the week 2000+ will have picked something from the recordings, yet no one, my self included, has posted a comment on his Blogg – but I have pointed to it a post to another group – networking – very rapidly everyone who is a member of an interested network will ‘know’ about it – few will comment on it, that fact that it happened will influence many things – I suppose what I am trying to say is that, now, if you contribute to something you are unlikely to get a ‘pat on the back’ – but it will, through networked ‘knowledge’ have some impact – it is worth participating and contributing!! – People WILL read and probably use it, what you think is valuable – say it! – contribute, participate, network
Networking – I was on train yesterday talking to a colleague (+listening online to Grahams maiden broadcast), our discussion moved round to ePortfolios – he showed me a QIA Subject Coaches Network Discussion that had a reference back to a post that I had made in an ePortfolio and PLTs Google Group – networks linking to networks – PERHAPS we need to get used to ‘talking’ and not to expect a response – People are listening, are watching/lurking and are using/combining/repurposing what we all say.
The main value of the Blogging process is that it does support reflective learning, to ‘write’ down or record ones thoughts and plans does help to move thinking and projects forward. Focuses thinking, supports discussion and development.
The philosophy that MOSEP developed with their tutorials has lots of potential. A wiki storing teaching and learning resources that teachers and trainers could select and assemble to produce, a course, a sequence a learning programme that could use to ‘train’/prepare teachers to be able to work with learners who are working with ePortfolios. The preparation/repurposing of multimedia resources takes time, but do add richness to the wiki.
The MOSEP project has shown that the new tools can enable teachers from across Europe to work to gather, to collaborate, to communicate and develop content. The MOSEP wiki is currently under revision – would be nice if someone picked up the concept and developed it into the high-quality, open-access training resource that it should become. It has the potential to have a major impact on learning; preparing teachers to work with students who will use the ePortfolio process, a process with the potential to transform learning.
The ePortfolio process can both support learning and the learner. It is solidly based on proven pedagogy – it builds on the Plan, Do and Review process, simply adding the record stage that in turn encourages and supports reflection.
Some personal disappointments that resources are being directed towards the tools and technology while less attention is being given to the teaching and learning challenges. The process has a lot to offer, we need to get on and use it with all learners!
Sounds of the Bazaar LIVE internet radio fest, maiden Flight +1 (Yesterday, not today)
Thank you Graham for inviting me to contribute as an additional interviewer. Little did we anticipate that this would turn into a rescue mission (while the studio hosts are chasing the bug that caused the echoing).
And many thanks to John who not only survived as an interviewee but also produced a good summary of his answers. Below, for the sake of completion, you will find the questions that I posed to John during our session:
1. Your participation in the Mosep project:
You have been an activre partner in the Mosep project. What kind of activities you and the Wolsingham school have been promoting in this project?
2. The philosophy of Mosep
Mosep stands for “More self-esteem with the help of e-portfolios”. We know from other contexts that teachers and students do not always feel empowered when e-portfolios ar brought in. How have you dealt with this in Wolsingham?
3. The Mosep knowledge resources
The Mosep project has produced a rich Wiki and the members have been blogging. There is also the Mosep study. How do you get the know-how integrated to your day-to-day practice?
4. Changing technologies, platforms and network environments
During the work of the project much has happened in the development of plaforms, in the spread of social software and in the development of social networking. How has this been reflected on the work of the project?
5. Follow-up of Mosep
Mosep will soon reach the end of the EU-funded life cycle. Much has been achieved but there are several issues for follow-up. How could the work be continued after this project period?
As you will see, John has very nicely covered the questions from his point of view. Yet, some other partners or followers of Mosep may add something to the picture.
Please, feel free to continue the discusion …