Unsung hero of mobile learning gets recognition from his peers

One of the podcasting and sms guru of the FE (tertiary or Community College sector for non UK readers) recieve recognition form his peers at recent Mlearn conference.

Mick Mullane the man that made go and get a Mac and then a Ipod touch but also rages about about projects not workng with learners own devices has finally got some reward.

http://www.scarborougheveningnews.co.uk/news/Award-for-college39selearning-pioneer.4651473.jp

Mick is a great presenter that mixes technolgy with a healthy dose of pragmatism to showcase his work at his college combining SMS and pod and vodcasting . He is one of the rare few to mix classroom teaching and learning examples of mobile learning but importantly the use of the technology in day to day running of a college as a business.

Well done Mick well deserved.

Respect to the Gadget Boys

Inverkeithing High School Radiowaves project these two stars are running a regular gadget show this is so cool watch follow it subscribe to the podcast and if you like post a comment to the lads.

http://www.radiowaves.co.uk/station.aspx?lngSiteID=681

Should Andy gadget Black give up??

Radiowaves supporter reporter near the kick off !!

Well if you have the chance what would you ask Sir Alex Ferguson . Well over 70 young fans have doe just that.

My favourites

• who your favourite non sporting hero! (Mines Shackleton BTW)
• Can I have Chrstiano Ronaldo's number

actually joking aside some really good questions that so called professional Journalists wouldn't ask so go on and have a look at
http://radiowaves.co.uk/story.aspx?lngStoryID=14350#Comment

win draw or lose the supporter reporters are the stars !!

kiler educational content for an ipod touch

I have recently got hold of one of these devices and would like help from blog readers of sources of

• podcasts
• vodcasts
• video downloads
• audio downloads
  

for education content across a range of educational setting from school college to informal learning . So come on regular readers post your ideas as comments..

cheers

Andy

Remembering sharing the past and uncovering the future by serendipity !!

As regular readers know I live in Ipswich in the UK.

I was following up on this story from Mates at radiowaves ironically forwarded from Mike Short ( I fogot to blog it first time round oops) .

Their Past Your Future is a project run by the Imperial War Museum, funded by The Big Lottery. More information about the project can be seen here: tpyf.uk

The last trip to France and Canada was a huge success. 24 young people from a Secondary School in Guernsey reported live during the trip and pulled in an online audience of 3000 people in just 2 weeks. They posted over 600 mobile blogs, videos and podcasts online which anyone in the world could view and comment on. Over 300 comments were left, not only from friends and family but also from previously unconnected young people, teachers and veterans.

The MoBlogs can be seen here: http://www.radiowaves.co.uk/Network/blogs.aspx?lngNetworkID=755

Some examples of the comments left:

“Ladies I am sure that it was very emotional for you all. last year at the age of 65 I managed to visit my Fathers grave in Brussels cemetery in Belgium, he was killed in 1944,he was an Irish Guardsman, just after my second birthday so I do not remember him at all. I do know that when I stood at the foot of his grave I cried, I was remembering him, and some of my old service comrades. So well done girls, you will have experienced feelings and emotions that a lot of people think do not exist.” Veteran

“I've just read about your commemoration service and I had tears running down my face - the way you explained what you all did and how you felt was so moving.” Student

The Next Trip….

The next trip to Australia and Thailand commences in April and we will be developing Video mobile blogging to give the students more immediacy to their reports and enable us to pull in a wider audience, logging in for each instalment. We are hoping to generate a campaign around this trip, encouraging teachers to use the site as a resource, encouraging students to learn from the first hand experiences of their peers and interact by asking questions and leaving comments.

There will also be a trip in August to Japan to visit Hiroshima and interview Japanese veterans.

Listen to the stories www.radiowaves.co.uk/tpyf

I did some follow up googling and this is what I found !!

When I discovered this http://northgatemfl.blogspot.com

great stuff and guess what Northgate school is less than a mile away and my sons primary is one of its feeder Schools . Great stuff Northgate really really cool to see your blog . keep up the great work. Nice site .

Learners are the stars !!

Great stuff of the vodcasting sort . I introduced those talented types at Radio waves to the hard working team at Parklands CLC in South Liverpool at the end of last year where we giiged together .

Well Radio waves got invited back for the Enhancing Learning and Teaching with ICT conference for Liverpool City Council, Children Services alongside Sir Ken Robinson and Professor Stephen Heppell.

The learners interviewed these stars . I dont know Sir Ken Robinson but Stephen and Tim I know well and really suspect their view on things really great stuff see all interviews at http://www.radiowaves.co.uk/station.aspx?lngSiteID=1335

see Stephen Heppells below



and read what Tim said about the event on his blog http://www.timrylands.com/blog/2008/01/23/ict-conference-liverpool-letter-heading/

Bett 2008 a first for yours trully!! First of many postings

Those powerhouses of pod and vodcasting Radiowaves twisted my arm to do a three way interview with Matt Locke Commissioning editor for Channel 4 Dinendra Haria MINISTRY OF JUSTICE on the future of Technology in Education... .

Well of course Radiowaves used young people to do the lt ! What a suprise they were the stars of the show so go on listen to the podcast http://www.radiowaves.co.uk/story.aspx?PlayVideo=1&lngStoryID=14050 and checkout www.radiowaves.co.uk
for more background on voice it campaign go to
http://www.radiowaves.co.uk/network.aspx?lngNetworkID=750

Tim Riches of Radiowaves did a great slot at teachmeet2008 on Voice IT !!!

go on be a devil get those headphones out or speakers on.

Powered by ScribeFire.

TalkingVTE a great resource

Great stiff from the other side of the world .

Thanks to Mick Mullane all power to his podcasting for this link .
Talking VTE is a podcast of educational conversations and audio
recordings made at conferences, seminars and workshops throughout the
Australian Vocational and Technical Education (VET) sector.

http://talkingvte.blogspot.com/

Mick has add his great efforts from Mlearn where regular readers will know he presented you can see the blog posting and related podcast at

http://talkingvte.blogspot.com/2007/11/mlearn07-from-podcast-to-vle-to-phone.html

there are a wealth of resources around Mlean2007 on the site use this link to find them
http://talkingvte.blogspot.com/search/label/mlearn07

good one you Mick!!!

Micks Vod/podcasting down under at Mlearn as easy as cracking eggs !!

Mick Mullane session at Mlearn my spies tell me went down well!

you can see why the eggs pun at :

http://podcast.ycoastco.ac.uk//blojsom_resources/meta/mlearn/megansegg.mp4

And see all of Micks and Steves Podcasting efforts from mlearn at at

http://podcast.ycoastco.ac.uk/weblog/mlearn/

I wouldn't get him to make a omelette but as for a vodcast !! My spies tell me the table for dinner at the aquarium was wild !! If you were there leave a comment !!

More from Mick when he writes up the OE (Overseas Experience) !!!

Mick Mullane of Yorkshire Coast College Podcasts from Mlearn2007 in Melbourne

Mick is presenting at Mlearn and bless him he is podcasting about the conference in general.

subscribe to the podcast at feed://podcast.ycoastco.ac.uk/weblog/mlearn/?flavor=rss2

alternative
http://podcast.ycoastco.ac.uk/weblog/admin

great interviews although a dodgy one by me to kick it off.

Good on you Mick. Got any photo's Mick !!

Mlearn2007 Australia with its own UK FE star "Mick Mullane!

16th-19th October Melbourne Australia

http://www.mlearn2007.org/

well this year I am not there but good friends are Mick Mullane of Yorkshire Coast college showing casing his work on Pod and vodcasting supported by SMS in a session called "From Podcast to VLE to Phoneto mLearning Device"
Author: Mr Steve Sidaway, Mick
Mullane ,.

The guru of things mobile Mike Sharples will be doing a keynote presenting a paper and being on a panel .

If you fancy putting up with time difference some of the keynotes are being streamed by illuminate live (a system that worked well at ALTC) I am going to give it a go . session details here

And full conference programme here

MLearn2007

Mlearn 2007 16-19th October

Sadly I wont be there but Mick Mullance of Yorkshire Coast College will be and Steve Sidaway of txtools is also going they are prsenting on Micks work usuing sms integration in a Learning Platform (moodle) to inform students onf podcasts,vodcasts and general updates . Have a good one boys . Those of you not going check out Mlearn website http://www.mlearn2007.org and the video introduction on youtube
/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmEjLLJr0n8

Four places in one day

No its not the latest single by crowded house.

its my schedule tomorrow.
Location 1 Immrasat Centre reviewing Molenet bids
Location 2 Central Halls Westminster Your Voice Counts: Ministry of Justice Youth Conference with the excellent Tim Ritches of Radio Waves
Location 3 New Hollands publishers Edgeware Road picking up review copy of taking pictures with your camera Phone
Location 4 Channel 4 Horseferry Road for TV is dead event . Hosted by the facebook Maestro of Steve Moore of Policy Unplugged on behalf of channel 4

Looking forward to the day and its the day before that Mobi fest of the year Handheld learning .

Great week Bring It On!!!

Technology robust and fit for purpose

Hi

As you know I did the Dunwich Dynamo at the weekend and thought long and hard which technology to take to record it.

My Canon EOS 500 digital camera got rejected (too heavy)

so I took the following:

1. Apple nano (my wifes) with a belkin voice recorder attached for a podcast recorder.
2. Sony cybershot 3.2MP digtal camera
3. Nokia 6234 phone

so I used the

nano once at the start.
Camera at the start outside a pub (15 miles in) at the mid point (64 odd miles) got three shots in before condensation of the village hall fogged it up.
The phone to ring my wife fifteen miles and an hour from the end . plus 4 or 5 texts along the way .

so why didn't I use it more "The weather it poured down" The camera didn't work well because I didn't take a case and it got cold and was a focus point for condensation when I got it out at the mid point. The nano wasn't robust enough in the wet and I could be bothered .

The phone work but wasn't ideal to use in the dark.

so one device to all those jobs would I have used it more would a ruggedised version of devices made it more useful. I don't know but it does suggest technology wont get used if its not easy and reliable

Book Not Ready for Print? You Can Whip Up an Audiobook for a Podcast for Now

Great article from New York Times talking of role podcasting in marketing paper books an interesting read.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/07/technology/07audio.html?_r=1&ref=technology&oref=slogin

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 !!

Ewan Mcintosh speaking in London

Having Derek Robertson of learning and teaching Scotland speak at the Becta serious games event last Tuesday in Birmingham I have by sheer chance got an opportunity to see his partner in crime fellow crusader for education Ewan Mcintosh speak at this first Tuesday event organised by Redhouse Media . Link to redhouse and therefirst Tuesday events here



The little abstract is interesting enough see below:

EMPLOYEES OF THE FUTURE

Ewan McIntosh


Educational Technologist


Learning and Teaching Scotland Futures

This
year, 16-year-olds who know little about life before the Internet and
email will enter the workforce. Ewan McIntosh is an experienced teacher
and a recognised authority on new media and technology in the
classroom. He’ll lead a session on how understanding the interests of
IT-savvy teenagers will be critical if businesses and the government
are to get the best out of the next generation of worker.

state of the blogosphere

Blogs tags the whole web2.0 phenomena heres a report compiled from Technorati that will make you think.



http://www.masternewmedia.org/news/2007/04/06/blog_usage_statistics_and_trends.htmn summary:



here's a few headlines that are worth reflecting on:-

• The blogosphere is now 70 million weblogs wide



• About 120,000 new weblogs are created each day, or...



• 1.5 million posts per day



• 1.4 new blogs are created every second



• 17 posts are made every second

Cumulative number of weblogs - Technorati

Spam

• 3000-7000 new splogs (fake, or spam blogs) created every day



• Peak of 11,000 splogs per day last December

Growth

• Growing from 35 to 75 million blogs took 320 days

Blogs vs. MSM

• From 11 to 22 blogs among the top sources linked to in Q4 2006

The multi-lingual web

• Japanese the #1 blogging language at 37%



• English second at 33%



• Chinese third at 8%



• Italian fourth at 3%



• Farsi a newcomer in the top 10 at 1%

Tags Stats

• Tracking 230 million posts with tags or categories



• 35% of all February 2007 posts used tags



• 2.5 million blogs posted at least one tagged post in February

Great Things Happening in New Zeland Hi to Room 9 at Nelson central School.

Came across two great blogs while looking at Ewan Mcintosh's blog http://edu.blogs.com

are the kids at room 9 central nelson school !!! Check the classes first ever podcast how cool is that http://room9nelsoncentral.blogspot.com/Well go on regular readers of Andysblackhole go and listen to the podcast and post a comment.