Where have I been?

I have not blogged for a week & feel like I am turning into a lurker - rather than an active participant. As a learner my reflector/theorist tendencies have emerged (reared their ugly heads)& my online time has been spent learning more about Heutagogy & it's author Stewart Hase. This investigation has, of course, led me deeper into the vortex of the world wide web, I often get sucked in. Somehow I found myself surfing YouTube where I found a fascinating presentation on the use of instructional technology over the past century, well worth a view, it's only 5 mins.

I have spent some time viewing participant blogs - I am still working my way through the list of participants & have considered if I am going to use Google Reader, or maintain control manually via the participants page. My question (to myself) is will this become a chore as is keeping my emails under control, & I think self knows the answer to this...don't you self?

I have viewed the Clive Shepherd video & find myself thinking more about Synchronous learning & Synchronicity. This could be another dangerous (time consuming) liaison with the web, or perhaps a message that I should finally get back into reading Jung.

Unfortunately I missed either our weekly group discussions, however this morn I participated in the Wimba session facilitated by Kerry Trabinger from Canberra Institute of Technology. Most participants were teachers from CIT who are using various synchronous & asynchronous technologies in f2f courses (blended), rather than conducting courses completely online. It was interesting that there are very 'hands on' courses such as Carpentery, Forensic studies, Hospitality (Cooking) using these technologies. What resources!!!! Wimba is very similar to Elluminate however CIT have it connected to Moodle (another system that I have been meaning to have a play with) everything is at the click of a button. Kerry made it look very easy. There were also 2 guest presenters from US, Rena & Keith who are using similar technologies in their work.

We are off to NZ next week for a family holiday but I am hoping to get some time out to focus on the weeks course activities.

Connected to the outside (inside) world

I have been so 'motivated' all day, since my early morning course meeting via Elluminate. I have not realised how much I had missed professional adult interaction. Whilst the day consisted of playgroup & scrubbing soccer boots etc. I have taken some time tonight to research "Connectivism" & "plearn'ing" in a UStream presentation by Stephen Downes (see my Kim's thinking blog for further info). Now it is time for bed. Goodnight, after a great day.

FO2010 course commences

Here I am blogging on Day 2 of the course because yesterday morn was spent sorting out my blog. There are many 'ideas' running through my head at the moment which I think I will have to control/manage by using the old fashioned method of putting pen to paper and see where they lead (if anywhere).
I am working my way through the growing list of participants to view their blogs and gain an understanding of their perspectives (industries, experience & goals) coming into this course. I won't have enough time each day to read everyones blog updates so I have selected some to follow that I believe have similar perspectives to me. The thought of being a facilitator & having to check everyones blog updates regularly in a course this size reminds me how I need to work on my time management skills (different time management skills to the juggling act that is being a full-time mother).
I want to learn to facilitate an introduction to online facilitation for F2F facilitators who I work with (when I return to work from mat leave early next year).
I also want to consider which components of our induction program could be modified to facilitate online (blended).
In terms of oniine facilitation I am currently completing the FO2010 course to gain skills as an online facilitator and build a network of colleagues. I am also continuing my online research to identify current trends in online facilitation particularly re:technologies.
I would like to develop my skills using the relevant technologies - keeping up with all communications and facilitate using Elluminate. I would also like to build and maintain a network of colleagues within the field of online faicilitation.
To achieve these goals I need to apply myself to completion of this course.
I am going to post this blog before I press something and lose the last 30 mins work.