Janine’s blog

Becta’s latest newsletter includes links to documents relating to student entitlement to use ICT across the curriculum, organised in curriculum areas.

Secondary curriculum entitlement documents http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/subjects/ict/bectadocs/sec/

Primary curriculum entitlement documents http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/subjects/ict/bectadocs/prim/

Overall guidance about ICT is provided at

http://www.teachernet.gov.uk/teachingandlearning/subjects/ict/

Just hearing about a colleague’s recent study tour and some key UK websites relevant to teacher professional associations

Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA) - the national agency responsible for the training and development of the school workforce. It plays a central role in supporting the workforce to help children and young people meet the outcomes of the Every Child Matters agenda.

Teacher training resource bank - managed and run by a consortium of 4 partners from the education and ICT sectors and supported by TDA

National College for School Leadership provides programs to support new and emerging leaders. its work is informed by the Secretary of State’s targets and objectives.

   Teachers TV

Listening to Margaret Throsby interview on ABC Classic FM. She is interviewing  Dr Jim McNamara,  Professor of Public Communication at the University of Technology Sydney and Director of the Australian Centre for Public Communication, on the topic of  emergent media. It is interesting to listen to such interviews during the day and realise that there is still a need for education at a really simple level.  His conversation does a good job of this as one would expect from his position title!

Some paraphrased snippets:

“…..this gets to some fundamental beliefs such as ‘Do you believe in participatory communication’…..

“….It’s not just new media that are emergent but rather that existing media are changing eg newspapers online, podcasting, RSS feeds……”

“What are the filters so that people know what is accurate?”
“This is one of the challenges….that is why there is a continuing need for editors, journalists….but the public is making it clear that they are tired of the gatekeepers……

 http://www.abc.net.au/classic/throsby/stories/s2262283.htm

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?