Comments on: Where do we Mash to? http://xpatasia.edublogs.org/2008/06/06/where-do-we-mash-to/ Reflections on working as an Digital Learning Consultant in the Asian Region. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 09:59:09 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: Moodle as “the killer app” » Moving at the Speed of Creativity http://xpatasia.edublogs.org/2008/06/06/where-do-we-mash-to/comment-page-1/#comment-77 Moodle as “the killer app” » Moving at the Speed of Creativity Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:14:16 +0000 http://xpatasia.edublogs.org/2008/06/06/where-do-we-mash-to/#comment-77 [...] posted the following as a response to Paul McMahon’s post “Where do we Mash to?” Whether we are talking about students in Hong Kong and other parts of east Asia (as Paul is) or [...] [...] posted the following as a response to Paul McMahon’s post “Where do we Mash to?” Whether we are talking about students in Hong Kong and other parts of east Asia (as Paul is) or [...]

]]> By: Wesley Fryer http://xpatasia.edublogs.org/2008/06/06/where-do-we-mash-to/comment-page-1/#comment-76 Wesley Fryer Mon, 09 Jun 2008 17:02:24 +0000 http://xpatasia.edublogs.org/2008/06/06/where-do-we-mash-to/#comment-76 Paul: I think the key is helping students as well as parents develop their own capacities and dispositions as "digital citizens." No, teachers can't take and shouldn't take responsibility for everything students do and encounter online at school or away from school. The analogy of driving is appropriate here. What we are doing (or should be doing) is helping equip kids to be responsible and ethical decision makers when they are outside the direct control and supervision of adults and teachers. Will they make bad choices? Will they mess up? Inevitably. The world is and will remain a dangerous place filled with diverse options, and we need to help our students make good choices. In terms of the "portal" idea, I was struck a couple of weeks ago following <a href="http://www.speedofcreativity.org/2008/05/29/podcast254-coaching-and-leading-faculty-on-the-blended-learning-journey-an-interview-with-scott-charlson/" rel="nofollow">a conversation with Scott Charlson</a> and Kent Brooks about how "un-needed" technology support departments are from a certain perspective. For teachers and students who want to utilize web 2.0 tools, everything they need is "out there" on the web and available. The reality is, of course, that the majority of teachers are NOT innovator / early adapter teachers, and therefore won't use these tools without formal support and encouragement. Portals are therefore important to help the early majority, late majority, and (perhaps) laggard teachers with respect to technology integration get on board and utilize these tools. The experiences of Scott and Kent at WOSC suggest that Moodle may be "the killer app" when it comes to organizational elearning and blended learning portals. My suggestion, if you have not already, is to setup a Moodle server and invite several of your more adventurous teachers to utilize it as a sandbox with students. Moodle is free, very robust, has a great user community, and can take away some of the important excuses teachers as well as administrators may put forward when it comes to elearning portals: EXPENSE. Moodle isn't free, you still need a server and bandwidth, as well as technical folks to support the installation, but comparatively speaking I think there are VERY compelling reasons for utilizing it as the sort of portal it sounds like you're looking for. Good luck. Paul: I think the key is helping students as well as parents develop their own capacities and dispositions as “digital citizens.” No, teachers can’t take and shouldn’t take responsibility for everything students do and encounter online at school or away from school. The analogy of driving is appropriate here. What we are doing (or should be doing) is helping equip kids to be responsible and ethical decision makers when they are outside the direct control and supervision of adults and teachers. Will they make bad choices? Will they mess up? Inevitably. The world is and will remain a dangerous place filled with diverse options, and we need to help our students make good choices.

In terms of the “portal” idea, I was struck a couple of weeks ago following a conversation with Scott Charlson and Kent Brooks about how “un-needed” technology support departments are from a certain perspective. For teachers and students who want to utilize web 2.0 tools, everything they need is “out there” on the web and available. The reality is, of course, that the majority of teachers are NOT innovator / early adapter teachers, and therefore won’t use these tools without formal support and encouragement.

Portals are therefore important to help the early majority, late majority, and (perhaps) laggard teachers with respect to technology integration get on board and utilize these tools. The experiences of Scott and Kent at WOSC suggest that Moodle may be “the killer app” when it comes to organizational elearning and blended learning portals. My suggestion, if you have not already, is to setup a Moodle server and invite several of your more adventurous teachers to utilize it as a sandbox with students. Moodle is free, very robust, has a great user community, and can take away some of the important excuses teachers as well as administrators may put forward when it comes to elearning portals: EXPENSE. Moodle isn’t free, you still need a server and bandwidth, as well as technical folks to support the installation, but comparatively speaking I think there are VERY compelling reasons for utilizing it as the sort of portal it sounds like you’re looking for.

Good luck.

]]> By: A E » Blog Archive » Where do we Mash to? http://xpatasia.edublogs.org/2008/06/06/where-do-we-mash-to/comment-page-1/#comment-74 A E » Blog Archive » Where do we Mash to? Sat, 07 Jun 2008 06:47:04 +0000 http://xpatasia.edublogs.org/2008/06/06/where-do-we-mash-to/#comment-74 [...] Where do we Mash to? I have been in some conversations over the last week or so that have centered on the ability to be able to mashup content from multiple content sources into a blog, a portal, an LMS such as Moodle , Eclass , StudyWiz , CLC , or virtually anywhere. This discussion has caused me to reflect on the comments of Wesley Fryer in referring to safe areas away from public view for students. He calls this sort of an application a walled garden . Having been in a school where the portal was so ineffective [...] [...] Where do we Mash to? I have been in some conversations over the last week or so that have centered on the ability to be able to mashup content from multiple content sources into a blog, a portal, an LMS such as Moodle , Eclass , StudyWiz , CLC , or virtually anywhere. This discussion has caused me to reflect on the comments of Wesley Fryer in referring to safe areas away from public view for students. He calls this sort of an application a walled garden . Having been in a school where the portal was so ineffective [...]

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