de.radioactive101.eu ist der deutschsprachige Internetauftritt des Projektes zu finden. Unter 1_Deichstadtradio_Sendung_1 kann man die erste Sendung nachhören.

Ich freue mich schon auf einen Termin am übernächsten Samstag. Die Gruppe ist offen. Wer dazustoßen möchte, kann dies gerne tun.

Bis denne

Andreas

Observations what are the plus of organization? The first thing is deeply thinking about the work equipment. With deeply thinking i mean being concentrated during the packing when leaving the office one at tuesday evening and moving to K-Town on wednesday morning.  I swear it will soon result in two things: One is a standardized and approved packing list as well as collection of things, I had to buy twice, like VGA-Adaptors, Power-Cords etc. ;-). I would prefer, having the packing list earlier.

What favor can I tell about my first days in K-Town? Well my subjective view: Digging in a running project means to read, read and read a lot.  That’s what this picture can tell about. OK – So far next pictures of the „coblence office“ will be presented on monday.

And another pic – A view from outside:

Bis denne
Andreas

Going through the critical theory it also means: It could be right to state: Somebody has been enabled to learn in one situation by an adequate researching view from the past. To get the view opened: It should be difficult to predict learning success and or those scenario. If research leads to be more precise, settings of education could enable to enrich earning by offering possibilities expressing the own learning, share this learning experience with others and enable to get an reflective approach to the own learning.

Trying to get this approach of critical learning theory to up to date technology and strategies often I run into a leak of definitions and the adequate use of the term learning and it’s meaning. And therefore the previously announced question raises:

When we explore technology of personal learning, enriched and maybe enabled through technical learning environments, we should provide channels for information distribution containing experiences and things learned. In its characteristic they are simply distributed information – with the maybe contained previous learning of the origin. source. Thinking from this point, it can be shared both: The result and/or the progress.  But it stays as pure data unless it is categorized and or interpreted  by another subject.  Sharing a learning-progress result without the progress could be valued as a good end product, but it differs from the progress view of learning. But how? Like a video and the making of of a video both are assets which can be used by other subjective learners in their personal development. At one hand offering the content to be state of the discussion. At the other hand the progress inspiring to share the same way or choose another way. And there is need to mention the potential third hand, in my point of view recognized enough: The potential learning enrichment of the discourse about the distributed information and/or the illustrated progress.

Thinking personal learning environments to take part in all three mentioned situations, it strangers me, to discuss about learning, by simply offering the technology to distribute information. Would it value the fully potential on social learning? The charming moment in personal learning networks brings back the individuals and – in reality the subject behind the avatars / nicknames / logins/ and the connection potential.

The problem with the PLN term is, it prospects the networked feeling, before it maybe covered by the learners experiences.  Can you call it a network, shouting out loud, but never experienced to be listened?

Going back to the subject: There should be a need to ask on how information distribution and learning are related. And digging deeper in this question and the context explained above, how could we help learners to step over from information reception to learning, in own reflective reception and discourse?

Or to quote the illustration found on the net: „When we make our learning transparent we got teachers?“ Isn’t there an interest on how to make in times the internet can be used/misused/forced/prohibited learning in best ways transparent others can easily share and contribute with their learning the information received before?  What about the discourse? Isn’t there the biggest potential about the learning? Is this quote true in general, or can we say something reliable about the circumstances this dream came true? how to help students to get the most/best/safest way to get inside such learning experiences?

So see this post in it’s twice meaning: First as a statement not to fallback into the old discussion about learning as the automated result of teaching and secondly following the focus on unanswered questions if we can see the learning process on long term and not as publish and learn. I would like to have some more discourse about this.

The challenge is presenting it live. This means there is a need of producers and listeners. Producers in the sense of scholars articulating and producing the material. Listeners in the sense of people all aver the world aiming to listen to the live programm and participating in the various channels and possibilities of discussion and discourse. In this sense: What is the biggest value to the students work: Beeing recognized and understood.

So, if your are open for their words as a listener take a look at the http://earthbridges.net.
If you want to produce something with your class / group of students / scholars or participate anyhow: Enter the planning wiki here: http://earthbridges.wikispaces.com/.

Bis denne
Andreas

Ich empfehle aktueller denn je, die vormals genannten Worte mit den ihnen beigegebenen Informationen wahr- und ernstzunehmen und die darin enthaltene Sorgen aufzugreifen. Damit meine ich nicht nur den Appell zu einer präziseren Argumentation, sondern durchaus ihre die Warnung vor eventuell nicht beabsichtigten Folgen des eigenen Tuns. 

Bis denne

Andreas

„Earthbridges aims to initiate, enable, and aggregate global community conversations where participants share, collaborate and take action on the issues that will (bring us closer to) make environmental sustainability a reality.“

So there will be a lot of creative work and the most important: „Students- work“ webcasted during this 24 hours. Following the planning wiki, where you can access over the earthbridges Website you will se a growing list of time-slots – students and teachers all over the world claim their participation. So if you feel fearless also, give your students the opportunity to participate, by taking one hour or less in this WebcastAthlon. What is the benefit? For sure in this scenarios are a lot of educational benefits. But I would answer with my own learning moments of this challenge: It is an awesome and fascinating progress you and your students can join exploring in a global progress and topic together with students of all age ranges the topic of earth – feeling timezones, cultural differences, different and unfiltered views on one aim. If the sentence of the global village or flattened world needs an example – there is a good one. Or can you grow up one, where students can chat with experts from Mexico, Canada, Portugal, UK and last but not least the United States??

Finally feel free to join this activity – we are open to everything related to the topic. To get the real global feeling there is the need to cover some more languages and continents. And Earthcasters of the past year: Please give some feedback on your learning moment!

So going to the headlined question I abstract for me – it would need a bit more deep thinking to get the right and adequate answer and maybe more than beeing able to get through this post.   So see this as an impulse for more thoughts which could be shared.  

The doubts – A Provocation

Getting this question as a abstract formulation would bring me to the first association i had as an answer: No, you can’t teach web2.0. I’m in doubt, if you fill the term web2.0 with all the technological tools even if you can teach one single tool. Maybe I cannot teach podcasting if I translate teaching in the traditional way of informing or informational transportation. Cristina used the verb preach, which maybe describe what is behind: Offering information without reaching the hearts. Furthermore if there would be somewhere a lesson plan containing web2.0 what would be inside? What would be behind? Which tools? – Why? Aimed to which situation? To bring up my frustrating conclusion: Web2.0 is a buzzy, yummy, pudding like term  everytime you seem to got at a glance he’s been developed in another direction. How to teach something which is itself changing in his meaning from subject to subject – from person to person – from context to context. And going to my personal understanding of the term – the changed use of the web-based ICT – which includes participative as far as user generated content, networked and creative information – cooperativity and world wide – (transregional – transnational – and transcontinental, last but not least transcultural) exchange and sharing of information and its assumption – all leads to the fact: There are as much understandings behind the web2.0 – or particularized eleraning2.0 terms as users are out. Everybody who is active has its own way through this journey and its own story to tell. Finally you wont be able to bring up even a part of those experiences  in traditional settings. 

The big but – (Lent from the german spelling „Das große ABER“.)

I would like to be last one who want to fall behind those times elearning2.0 reached seminares, classes, schools and institutions.  But usually how do we argue in educational situations, got in touch with the question: Why you are doing this? And maybe a bit more quietly than the provocation above I’ll try to get my point there: Maybe all of the educational efforts and concepts start with the reflection on the aims, which should be reached, should be touched and should be transformed. For sure there are more than one possible strategy getting your students in touch to the world outside the keyboard. Related to your deep understanding of the aim there is maybe a reflection on the possible method a good chance.

The Aims can be on the media literacy matter as well as on the subject matter itself. To explain the subject matter: Going through the thought, which has been shared by peoples like @jeanpaul, and well presented by peoples like @cristianspannagel If you are able to explain your content via a media-tool of your choice you got sooo deeep in the subject, you got the content itself learned and transformed. (Providing the buzzword Learning_by_teaching) It could be also aim in get the activists in collaboration, cooperation, participation, communication? There this could be clustered in some dimensions like teacher-learner, learner-learner, teacher/learner-public…. inner and outer circle. Those things can be explored from a startpoint to the public as a dynamic field of exploration and expectation.   

„…Git on Board little children git on board…“

Trying to cluster such aims, we are bound between „You-have-to-because it–will–be–part-on-your-Future“ or „Explore-you-might-get-the-sense“. Or what about: „Everybody-wants-to-be-famous“ as one pole dimensioning to „your-voice-or-opinion-is-important“ as the other. What about a spectrum between „experience-rooted-information/learning“ versus „scientific-assured-information“ for each choice there will be a need for a different methodical way sto get those on board.  Or what about: „Infiltration“ versus „Explication“? Infiltration could mean: Independent of a choice of tool just a subject has to be shared Explication could contain an explicit in depth exporation of one tool of web2.0. 

And determined of the aim – te exaples are outside. 

Conclusion: Can you teach web2.0? 

Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe it will rock, Maybe it could frustrate. Imagine you would like to get those in the value of web2.0 like you have explored before: Remember the long journey you took with all your fails – and hoorays. Remember you could teach even your experience of web2.0 which long journey your students would have to go. Remember you would like to teach the possibilities of the tools – you can just invite getting on board. You can prepare – they have to get on board themselve. For instance I got my first real experience in a moment i felt myself recognized. Just recognized – thats a lot as present by readers, listeners. But its not more.  But it was enough to explain the value it haves to me. The Immediate Value – i think this is the key. Learning offers where the participants will get the immediate selfvalue of their doing. And maybe get valued by the recognition of others, but at the first moment this is the bonus pack.   So if you want to teach Web2.0 make sure you explain web2.0 are not the tools. There is more behind!

So far my view on the topic. 

Andreas

Update 09.01.2008: Thomas Bernhardt brachte sich fast zeitgleich mit diesem Post auf eLearning2Null in die Diskussion ein.

Coming up to this posts title. Why is my grandfather placed so prominent here? This post is simply the reflection on what happened to me after this chat. It has to do with one chatter (male or female,who knows) in the chat collecting arguments – and sure more than this one himself called ender921? – about end of the institutions throughout connectivism models. Maybe a bit provocative shortened now, but he was thinking because of reasons from the financial perspective. So my inner valued: Maybe there would be one reason in monitaire dimension but there must be more than that for change – or (r)evolution on education. Claiming about this we three (Francis Bell also joined this thread) got in a chat throughout ending in the term: There is a use and agreed what i call: „Bridging the World and the Classroom“. Doing so – If we are bridging really world in the global view or why not just locally. This is now the right context for my grandfathers dream, because during my homedrive I realized how important for me the international view of the possibilities of social media is. Lets start the little story – delivered by my mother. 

My grandfather served as child or very young man in war. Came back without brother and father. As half-orphan he got in the small village where i also served my youth. Non educated he started working until he got the degree of an technician. As left of his reflection of the things happened before and in war – he did now the following things: „In his deep believe the only thing – really could prevent wars would be if (his) children could get in contact with many cultures as possible guided by an real interest in the nations he traveled – getting in contact as much as possible to the peoples he met driven by a mixture of curiosity – openness and tolerance.“ This is what moved him to move with his caravan – every holiday. This is, what my parents gave us as children also – like a tradition. And reflecting about this today i realized his main hidden aims – he always teached us: Be aware of thinking in nations or groups. Always try to get the individuals. Always be sure reaching the levels of understanding. Never go to far in a dialog but be open – open enough to be enable surprised. I remember very well his joy – when he was observing his grandchildren talking with hand and feet to new friends on the campground. Now I realize how big this present to us has been and know very well how hard (in financial aspect) this must have been enabling this to his children and later including grandchildren. And I noticed something different. His dialogues with me/us ever brought up to teach us to see individuals instead of masses. This thought got deeply anchored in my professional comprehension. Both seeing students as individuals by their possibilities and aims and realizing the possibilities of getting children of all nations in dialogue – would be well titled as my grandfathers dream. Now he left us 2 years ago. If i could tell him what i’ve learned from him…. really i start to miss him, because he would have so much fun seeing nations getting together.  

So far for today. Sorry getting so individual today. But in times „Change“ or „Yes we can“  got to buzzwords – there is a need to realize: The technology is out there. Its in our fantasy what we will make of it. So whats your dream in use the technology for education?