Janine’s blog

to be checked out - recommended on aamt email discussion list  - a teacher organizing his classroom to enhance learning. The web site also includes links to a number of supporting documents.

http://www.edutopia.org/math-social-activity-sel-video#comment-26073_

I found out today, with great sadness, that Marie Jasinski died on Monday 21 January. I first came across Marie in 1997 when I was starting up the VECO project and she was managing the LearnScope project. Although our audiences and purposes were different, there was much commonality in the field of online community and running online events. At the 1999 Net*Working online conference, she played the zany, offbeat, bizarre role of Sister Marie Psychic in the Alcazar (solver of all your problems). Marty Cielens was the Moet Poet, many others hung out in the Alcazar and I decided to be the self-appointed archivist.   As was typical of much of her work, this was a fun and off-beat way to explore new territory but with serious learning in mind. Not long after this we collaborated to experiment with using technology to bring a face to face workshop to a remote audience - it did not work so well but we learned heaps. So a professional and personal relationship developed over time. While visiting Adelaide for a conference a few years ago, we met up and went to an Adelaide Fringe Festival event in the famous Spiegeltent. She brought along the new man in her life who turned out to be none other than Marty, the Moet Poet from the Alcazar.  She was my mentor for my Flexible Learning Leader year and how insightful, inspirational and motivational she was. 

In early 2007 she found out that she was seriously unwell and her approach to that, as to everything in her life, was to focus on the positive, to make the most of every moment and share her love with family and friends.  She and Marty married, had some travelling adventures then moved home to Hobart in December 2007. Though I spoke to her, it was not meant to be that we would spend any more time together.  The notice in today’s Mercury reads:

Jasinski, Marie Louise

Died peacefully at Hobart on January 21, 2008. Much loved wife of Martin Cielens. Beloved daugheter of Dorothy Jasinski and  Leonard Jasinski (dec.) Cherished sister of Jenny and John. Much loved sister-in-law of Janet Plater, Viesturs and Andrew Cielens, Kym Tilgals and Michelle Marsh, and daughter in law of Tatjana Tilgals. Adored “Auntie Rie” of Sam, Grace and Max Jasinski. To all of us, a friend, companion and guide; someone who wove webs of joy and adventure. An exceptional person who will be deeply missed yet lives in all of us.

Marie leaves behind a rich legacy to the world of flexible learning, innovation, change and generally operating effectively in the 21st century. She was extremely proud of her final piece of professional work.

Some snippets of her digital footprint…..

• 1998 Teaching and learning styles that facilitate  online learning - research project led by Marie
• 1999 Sister Marie and the Alcazar - an early foray into role playing (look out for the Spitting Camel)
• 1999 Online learning - delivery truck, construction site or introduction agency (includes audio file - an early webcast)
• 2000 Virtual games for real learning - conference paper co-authored with Sivasailam “Thiagi” Thiagarajan
• 2001 E-games: Improvisation through open platform design - conference paper
• 2002 Sister Marie reaches the summit - a summary of role play and simulation
• 2002 The Zen Of Being An Effective ‘Mod’ In Online Role-Play Simulations - paper jointly authored with Albert Ip
• 2003 Notes on Inspired Minds workshop - Harnessing Your Power To Innovate, Lead and Change - by Janet Burstall
• 2004 Educhaos series - out of control and thriving! - a series of 7 online events facilitated by Marie in the Australian Flexible Learning community
• 2005 Background to the Australian Flexible Learning Community - describes Marie’s role in the early days
• 2005 Robert Woog, Robby Weatherley, Marie Jasinski talk at Austafe2005 - see conversation after blog posting
• 2006 Innovate and integrate: Embedding innovative practices research - commissioned applied research
• 2006 Life Based Learning: A strength based approach to capability development - research collaboration with Maret Staron and Robbie Weatherley
• 2007 Marty and Marie’s blog
• 2008 Stephen Downes’ tribute
• 2008 Nancy White’s tribute
• 2008 Albert Ip’s tribute - lots of links to video clips of Marie talking about role play
• 2008 Carole McCulloch’s tribute - photostory from Marie and Marty’s wedding
• 2008 Australian Flexible Learning Leaders’ (FLL) tributes

The poem and other sentiments expressed so far in the FLL tributes really capture the spirit of Marie. Anyone she touched professionally she also influenced personally. Her approach to life shone through - she embodied the concept of living in the moment and always with joy, humour, insight and understanding of the human condition.

Janine Bowes FLL 2004

• 25 Jan 2008  Special tribute held online - recording and summary available
• Feb 2008 Thiagi’s tribute
• Mar 2008 Celebration held in Adelaide (Michael Coghlan blog)

Vale special friend.

It’s been a while since I have posted here though I have mentally prepared many little snippets. My excuse/reason is extended time out while getting a new knee sorted out and I am pleased to report that all is going well in that direction. 

Ok, I’ve followed the instructions (and re-read several times) for embedding a Frappr map on your own site ie here. However, all I can see is the toolbar below and not the map.

I’ve been looking for some good simple diagrams of network topologies. My intention was to find topology diagrams of the concept of networks generally but almost all the examples were explicitly about computer networks. Neural networks were also prevalent but the generic concept of networks (which surely predates computers) was well hidden. I eventually found some diagrams at these locations

Basic diagrams

http://www.webopedia.com/quick_ref/topologies.asp 

This site shows 5 basic network technologies (mesh, star, bus, ring, tree)

Delving deeper got into some pretty heavy mathematical theory territory - all I was after was some network diagrams to play with to illustrate an organisational concept! I wonder if there is such a thing as “topology of a networked organisation”? Clearly there are many possible models that might exist within organisations - perhaps a combination of organically occuring ones and deliberately created ones. The following s

Organisational network theory

Multiplex Multi-Core Pattern of Network Organizations: An Exploratory Study The case study demonstrates how this approach could capture the many types of relationship among members as well as the various roles that members play within the network organization. Such an approach can yield new insights on how to better manage networked organizations.

Oh dear this is a heavy duty area of theoretical mathematics. I’m not sure how this all fits with plain English!

Networks, fields and organisations - microdynamics, scale and cohesive embeddings  - a January 2004 journal article that describes a methodology for analysing and mapping social networks in order to predict macro effects from micro characteristics. Interesting but heavy….

Work teams and knowledge management in network organisations - Description of a 2002 PhD study through a London University.

Communities of Practice and other networked organisations How to organise our work and life?” - from the London Knowledge Network - lots of annotated links in this reference.

What an irony! I decided to spend some time this evening bringing myself up to date on RSS aggregators. I have been using Bloglines as an aggregator and when I visited it earlier in the evening and all was well but upon return was met with a large and funny photo of a man (a plumber) with a text quote. This really tickled me! I have included a screenshot on the assumption that this does not break copyright.

“I’m the Bloglines Plumber. Bloglines is down for a little fixer upper. We will be back shortly. Bloglines will be all better when I’m done with it.

Thanks,
The Bloglines Plumber “

Howard Rheingold is one of the original users of the term “online community” from way back. He is currently lecturing at Stanford University offering a course on Digital Journalism. The course outline is available and includes extensive references and readings. Assignments for students include writing their own blog, contributing to wikipedia. The course begins with the topic When old journalism met new media and goes on to include The Emergence of Collaborative Citizen Journalism, Social Software and We Media, Reputation Economies and Information Networks,  Code as Law, Architecture as Politics, What is journalism for, now?

From the reading I have done, the way “Web 2.0″ is described is no different to the characteristics of the web  that I have personally valued since 1994 i.e. the power to connect people for communication, collaboration and sharing. The tools have evolved but the essence of it is the same. However, with the simpler, easier to use tools, so much more independence and power is in the hands of so many more users who need less and less to be geeks to participate. As the article below explores, Web 2.0 leaders have embraced the power of the web to harness collective intelligence.

What Is Web 2.0 - Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software is an article by Tim O’Reilly, apparently one of the original coiners of the term who seeks to explain all. It includes a diagram of the “Web 2.0 meme” and other interesting conceptual organisers.

I’ve just finished reading a short article in Directions in Education (Australian Council for Eudcational Leaders), Vol 15, No 11 which makes the point that the issue of girls’ partipcation in IT is complex and is not just a gender issues. There are parallel issues in involvement in Science, as noted in a May 2006 AAP article discussing Margaret Spellings’ comments - highly skilled, high wage jobs of the future ought to include females. It goes on to suggest small practical steps that can be taken at classroom level, citing examples from the “Taking Bigger Bytes” article in the Age - (available at cost). The message here is akin to “think globally, act locally” for the environmental movement. It urges teachers to consider working on group projects that have real life meaning to the girls and the net result may be that firls will get IT and love IT.  It strikes me that the examples given are all on the “soft side” of IT and I am not so sure that that is where the “highly ksilled high wage jobs of the future” might be. Nevertheless, food for thought.

This collection of resources and information about SLICT programs available in the UK consists of case studies of school learning journeys, programs for Primary, Secondary and leadership teams. From the site:

 ”SLICT focuses on the strategic role of headteachers in leading and developing ICT. “

and from the FAQ’s:

“It is positioned very clearly as a self and peer review learning programme with a range of experiences, inputs and approaches to meet differing learning styles. Self assessment, reflection and planning are key throughout the programme, starting with pre-event self and school reviews and an induction into the talk2learn SLICT community.”

http://www.ncsl.org.uk/programmes/slict/index.cfm