Another unsung hero gets well deserved recognition

Dawn Hallybone of Oaklands primary gets a well deserved bit of praise in this interesting article from Merlin John. http://www.agent4change.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=327:games-consoles-for-learning-reaching-critical-mass&catid=63:innovation&Itemid=433

It also cites the influence of Derek Robertson one of my previous unsung heroes. Nice piece and nice comments from our friends at Ofsted "Progress is good. In mathematics, progress is increasing as a result of actions taken by the school to bring about improvement, for example through innovative use of hand-held consoles."

Read further piece on futurelab site the revolution will be tweeted link here

Well done Dawn !!

Ahead by a red nose Gamesbased Learning 2009

Hi all

Due to change of circumstance I am now able to attend Gamesbased Learning 2009 with is the 19th-20th March at the Brewery in London .

The organisers have done great things for red Nose day (thats tomorrow) if you register tomorrow they will donate £50.00 to the red nose day charity youve got to use the code rednose when booking. Good on you Graham ;-)

The two day conference the first day having loads of good practice from real people in show ! The second day has some real industry heavyweights and the God Derek (DS) Robertson form learning and teaching scotland .

Download the programme here

Register here

View confirmed speakers here

what made my heart leap was this phrase encouraging young people (maybe the real experts). Please note we are also keen to include young people at the event and registered delegates are welcome to bring a student 16 years or younger with them. School parties are also welcome by arrangement. Please contact us here.

Looking forward to it Ive also added link to the conference website on my blogroll on the left.

Argosi: Alternate Reality Games for Orientation, Socialisation and Induction

this project was pointed out to me by Dr Nicola Whitton of Manchester Metropolitan University her blog is worth a look at http://www.playthinklearn.net

who is part of the project team well actually project manager http://www.jisc.ac.uk/whatwedo/programmes/programme_users_and_innovation/argosi.aspx

Its in its early stages but could be one to watch !!

Derek Robertson on the BBC radio and TV on Friday 14th March (today) talking about gaming in education

Huge heads up to Derek Robertson of the world famous team at the consolarium in Scotland .

Derek is appearing on the BBC Breakfast news and Radio Five Live tomorrow morning to talk about the large scale Nintendo project that I will be doing after the Easter Break. Full details of the times can be seen on his blog at www.hotmilkydrink.typepad.com . Although the first appearance is now at 6:20am.

view bbc news story and video clip of learners here

Derek is one of those unassuming people working with teachers technology and learners to make a difference . Derek keep up the great work. Got to add Dereks blog to my blog roll on the left !!

E learning techblog predictions 2008 gives thumbs down for mobile , I disagree!

While reading Tony Karrer's blog (yes I do read other blogs).

http://elearningtech.blogspot.com/2008/01/ten-predictions-for-elearning-2008.html

I came across a piece on eLearning Technology: Ten Predictions for eLearning in 2008. He is commenting from North America.
I initially picked up on the negative comment about mobile learning.

Prediction #5 => Mobile Learning - Continued Scattered Examples and Disappointment

I not surprisingly disagree. I will dilute it and say that isnt the case in the UK and maybe Europe. His comment on 20% of web access being via mobile devices is good and is going to increase very rapidly over 5 years.

I would like to quote Daniel Applequist of Vodafone who states in "5 years there will one Internet and it will be mobile".

Prediction #9 => Niche Online Discussions
I liked this idea of the growth of more niche online discussion and small targeted online conferences. This whole area is getting so much easier to set up . But the role of specialist facilitators is coming to the for. spend money on the human side not the platform.


those interested in gaming and its use in education and training wont like his comment on serious games.

Go on read the blog you may not like all he says but its a view !!!

In the wild two Matt Locke Commissioning Editor, New Media Channel 4

The session on looking at transfering media into new spaces

• secret spaces
• group spaces
• publishing spaces
• performing spaces
• participation marches meeting and markets 3 M's
  
• watching spaces
  

The idea that blurring publishing space that is provate that what is public
The idea of sharing who you think you are and how you think you know.
Rehearsing identities Used the idea of community radio a few years ago that was limited time slot that you can do now on the internet all the time.
sharing their skills
feeling being part of a crowd and publishing that feeling onlne via video sound text common crowd experiences

This session Matt Locke talked of the new kind of content that channel 4 are looking to commission he showed this as an example of kind of stuff they are looking at though this isnt there work www.worldwithoutoil.org basically a scenario around a world that has had an oil crash and the approach people joined up and wrote about the effect on them and their life . users did things like design tool of an itterative quest a mission . For example have
a)party that people get to on foot or by public transport
b)cooking a m al using only local ingredients

If channel 4 are going down this route its going to be really one to watch

He gave the idea of relaxing and giving things away
Messy is good that isnt the new way
Make your audience your heroes audiences don't have to have winners
Immerse yourself interesting views on second life but looking in now and again to see if its evolved .

greats session poorly blogged will clean it up later . Thanks Matt

Happy Birthday GSM Network

The GSM agreement and resulting network is 20 years old tomorrow !! Just think how far the mobile has come in twenty year see my piece on the handheld learning forum homepage and maybe you should reserve your place a handheld 2007 while your there http://www.handheldlearning.co.uk/content/view/37/2/

Huge Thanks to Mike Short of 02 who is chairman of the mobile data association for the tip !!! http://www.themda.org/

Legend in his own breakfast time. Ewan McIntosh "Talk Tuesday"

A very early morning to you. Yesterday quickly enroute to work went to a Talk Tuesday event organised by Redhouse Lane by Ewan Mcintosh of Learning and Teaching Scotland only for 1 hour but great all the same. Ewans influential education blog is in my side links. The link to his posting form the days event is here
Great stuff Ewan for lots of things refocussing my thinking in the following respects:

The main heavyweight ones are:

1. Capability of young people making me rethink what young people are doing and what there capable of:
2. How much the world and education has changed and is changing.
3. How simplistic my blog is (embarrassed of the blogosphere)
4. How slow conventional companies and adults are to appreciate the changes happening around them

The lighter weight but on reflection as important :

1. Importance of social bookmarking I use bloglines for feeds but don't post and share the link although they are public. http://www.bloglines.com/public/ajb1962 I don't use delicious and I should?
2. I should sort out an online file store for useful documents my existing google docs is the obvious one.

Now I think I got very different things out of Ewans presentation than others at the event. The main thing were :

1. meeting Ewan in person for the first time
2. Reference having your own blog quoted by Ewan from in his presentation thanks Ewan !
   
3. Astute observation in a seemingly throwaway remark on first meeting . "Andy you can spot a blogger by the way they saunter". Can you surely not ?? or maybe you ca.

Great stuff Ewan and final point for now you realise someone is on the edge or is it in the thick of the new world when talk of taking a photo of their impressive breakfast that morning !!

Update on Becta enhancing learning seminar

I attended this event a week and of course blogged it at http://andysblackhole.blogspot.com/2007/04/enhancing-learning-virtual-worlds.html

The presentations form the event are now all live and an and full audio to go with them with be avaialable from the 11th May. For now presentations can be found at www.becta.org.uk/enhancinglearningseminar

Enhancing Learning; virtual worlds, simulations and games based learning

Had the great pleasure of meeting Ernest Adams and Derek Robertson today. haven't had time to blog their presentation from BECTA event. "Enhancing Learning; virtual worlds, simulations and games based learning"

will put up the link to presentations from the day later. But for now feel the urge to put up these two inspirational individuals web presences:



Ernest Adams homepage link

http://www.designersnotebook.com/Home_Page/home_page.htm



Derek Robertson blog from Learning and Teaching Scotland

http://hotmilkydrink.typepad.com/