Sliced Bread

Pleased to read in todays ZDNet feed that Federal Ministers Stephen Conroy and Lindsay Tanner have dipped their toes into the blogosphere. Not all are happy however and their first somewhat awkward blog does reek of ‘try hardness’.

If I was more optimistic about their efforts, I would say it is heartening indeed that ‘good cop’ Tanner’s welcome post says;

instead of simply copying overseas models we are keen to gather as much evidence as we possibly can about how Australians want to engage online.

Gathering evidence is one thing but listening and learning from the feedback will be a whole new government ballpark.

Lets hope governments aren’t dishing up ’same old same old’ rhetoric in slightly new clothes, the voices are strong, and on the clean feed issue, universally opposed.

We are also genuine about wanting to use online consultation to improve government-citizen relationships around public policy. We want real outcomes from online consultation…

The potential “new openess” and permanent digital record of online democracy will be interesting to watch unfold. A pity the government currently has a heavy handed approach, draconian springs readily to mind.

In its first 3 days Tanner’s welcome post garnered 289 comments, the vast majority, if not all, strongly opposed the clean feed proposal.

Please add your voice or sign GetUp’s petition below if this issue also concerns you.

Bring on the Julia Gillard Education blog and I’m sure the informed edublogosphere will welcome the ripple effect with their constructive feedback. 

Learners and systems starting from flat fields, often LDC’s, are not hindered by centuries of factory education models, many did not have one.  These systems are not burdened by the baggage of history or “thats how we always did it” attitudes or meaningless “one size little boxes tests scores are king” mantras to hold them back. They do not have to have the seemingly circuitous arguments many more developed systems are still currently wasting time on. It really is well past the time to dive in the deep end.

As ubiquitious technology ‘allows the fish to not see the water’ emerging education systems or those able to address the new dynamic will exponentially prosper and eliminate existing achievement gaps, maybe not in a the immediate short term but certainly more rapidly than at any other stage in history.

Conversely, where entrenched opinions of supposed best edupractice are rife, misguided or antiquated we face stagnation and unacceptable lag times. Who’ll be catching up? we all know the answer. Thats why governments and educational deliverers, particularly large public systems at all levels, must get with it, and do so far more rapidly. I’m optimistic Kev07 federalism has a handle on this, but do other stakeholders?

Openness, no excessive clean feeds, no DET portals or walled gardens, no us and them, no impediments to learning, ubiquitious technology, genuine world wide conversational blogging, here’s hoping it happens before I retire.

I’m not holding my breathe after this first clumsy blog attempt, but hey it’s a baby step start and that’s always encouraging.

photo credit: NSP at flickr cc license

Well ’scuse my newbieness, but these Eddies are now half a decade old and no one told me …. ppiff I say.

Anyway here are my 2 bobs worth for the 2008 edublog awards

Best class blog 2MGems To Mrs M and her 2M Gems, you guys rock. Love your site, love to see kids learning and loving it while they do. As Al Upton requested (16/11/08) and edublogs obliged, THIS category is THE most important Eddie. Well said Al. Mrs M must be behind their website quote, “nearly all classes in the school are blogging” How good is that? Don’t worry about the current traffic jam kids, Uncle Kevin has promised to fix it.

Best individual blog  Watershed  John Larkins work is inspirational. Generous in his shared resources, deep thinking in his eclectic well travelled narratives and my students have deserted my rough and ready wiki to flock to his student friendly links. Top site, easily. Plus he’s a history nut like me.

Most influential blog post My f*#!%ing goosebump story Tomaz Lasic’s honesty is to be applauded, loudly. I just loved this post and need to meet the said Perth beermeister to confirm my suspicians. Hope he’s not a Corona and lemon sucker. 70:20:10 is another TL gem, he dug up for me. Ta WA Moodle Boy.

Best educational tech support blog Tim’s Blog de Blog  Tim and his team work wonders at TaLe and here he shares his personal insights from the other side of the fence. Thought provoking, topical, stops the echo chamber somewhat and adds perspective when I get cheesed off. Like it, lots.

Best teacher blog  Darcy’s Blog is what DET NSW needs installed in every school. If we did, we would have no issue with vaulting the yawning digital chasm that is rapidly emerging. Darcy “gets it”, big time. Thanks for your wonderful insights Darcy, even if you don’t imbide the smell of burning methanol in the morning, it takes all comers to make the nuthouse crackle.

Well thats my bit, drum roll please…… and the winners are …. learners, lets hope.

picture credit: Creating Passionate Users

Q: How have blogs helped you in teaching English?

Jo McLeay, head of English at Mater Christi College, shares her blogging experiences in Australian Teacher Magazine.

I had been reading other teachers’ blogs for a while and found them interesting and informative. Before I knew it, I was learning more about my profession, finding resources, engaging in discussion and renewing my passion for teaching and learning.

Student comments about blogging.

“.. I can read what people say, and I can take some of the language that they use and put it in to my vocabulary.”
Another student says: “I enjoy blogging for the fun — not the writing or language. But I guess it does help me understand writing and language.”
Another student, Larissa, adds: “Blogging helps me to be more careful in the way I write things and my spelling because other people will be reading [what] I write.”

I also think its important when Jo says

At least as important is the reading and commenting on the ideas of others. I believe in making connections and having conversations about the important issues in the lives of young people.

For learners unfamiliar with blogging or if you need ideas on the way in which students can learn through blogging these are just a few ideas from experienced teachers and students.

Have you blogged in your classroom and what are your experiences? Share your story.