Video Killed the Radio Star? (apologies to The Buggles)

I've been thinking it for a while now, but I really need to re-visit the potential that Flip video recorders (or my new smartphone) could bring to the teaching and learning situation. But like most people, there's something very uncomfortable about using video. For me, it's either the difficulty of getting use to seeing (and hearing) oneself in glorious technicolour (with all my little foibles exposed) or the concerns I have for others of using a camera in their presence, what with the issue of gaining their permission and the affect this then might on their behaviour. However,I feel I should move to get over these barriers, as soon as possible, as I have a feeling video and in particular, videocasting is likely to be central feature of teaching in the future. As Dr Stephen Heppell states at one point in the clip below (taken from the Learning Without Frontiers Conference in 2011) 'YouTube is now the search engine of choice for those under 14'. Digital technology has changed the way people give and receive information and those born into the digital age would prefer to watch a video, that they know they can access any time, any place, any where and can watch over and over again should they wish to...and who wouldn't? And there are potential advantages for teachers too, although the fear of being replaced (which some teachers often comment on) clearly isn't one of them! However, I should defintely give this more thought. In the meantime, I should just get started, and remember not to be too hard on myself with regard to my initial production values, as previous attempts have been more like a clip from the Blair Witch Project (Yes, scary as well as shakey camera work) rather than a slick learning resource. In the meantime, some interesting thoughts from Dr Stephen Heppell from January 2011.

Making time to play with technology

It's been a while since I've posted and part of the reason is definitely about making time. I REALLY need to integrate blogging into my daily/weekly practice. Since I last posted, blogspot have also changed the format for constructing an entry, so I'll definitely need to relearn what to do, as it's been a bit of a struggle this evening. This ties in with the issue I've been thinking about over the last few months (since buying myself a smartphone), which is the need to simply make time to just 'play around' with the technology and not focus too much on the purpose of use ('functional fixedness'?) particularly if I'm going to really maximise (ultimately) the functionality and affordances new technology has to offer. It reminds me of a book title by Michael Schrage called 'Serious play' (which is actually a book about innovation and creativity in business)but the message is the same, that playing with technology and exploring, fairly randomly way, what it can do is a serious business/pursuit and I need to keep reminding myself of this. Since starting this blog have come across some really interesting new tools /applications that have real potential to support teaching and learning. There are also some great blogs dedicated to exploring learning technologies, such as Nik Peachey's Learning Technology Blog and his review of 10 tech tools for teacher training (among other things) which I intend to check out in the coming weeks.

Creativity, Learning and the Curriculum

Another thought provoking talk from Sir Ken Robinson; usual theme, but some great quotes, funny lines and a side swipe at Mr Gove..what more could you ask for!

Focus for 2012

Rather distracted over the last few months with work (but not in the way I'd have liked) so time to re-focus (as best I can) and get back to exploring the topic I was beginning to obsess (exactly the right word) about in 2011, that of Education and the use of digital technology, or should I say the lack of use.

Recently acquired a couple of new books (see current reading list) to help switch my head back onto the issues and they look really interesting, especially Neil Selwyn whose profile suggests he's engaged in some really interesting research on the whole subject. Keri Facer I've known about for a while, as she's an ex-Research Director of Futurelab, and is currently Professor of Education at the Education and Social Research Institute at Manchester Metropolitan University. Here's a recent talk she gave in London in 2011 that raised a number of important issues about the future, and not just the role of digital technology in education.