I’m just preparing for the last class of Mobile Workforce Technologies and am trying to reflect on what came out of it this year.  Each time we run this course, it’s different.  But I don’t think we have fully achieved the aim of building the text book for the course, yet.  It’s getting close.  I think there are a few more pieces of structure that need to be in place for it to happen.  I hesitate to add too much structure, because it’s the very unstructured nature of the course that can be so powerful for student learning.

The table of contents concept that I’ve used for the last two versions of the course has started to come together, but it’s still a fairly incoherent attempt by students to organise the information.  I think it may be that as it’s currently structured, deciding on a topic and getting the information seems to be the limit to what students produce.  The contents page ended up as an alphabetised list of topics until I put a bit of structure onto the page and students started filling in the blank.  I need to come up with a way of getting students to undertake the task of organising what they make.

Perhaps the process, the assessment, could include marks towards organising information whereby students must contribute to the contents page and provide a summary for at least one article as well as contributing to a discussion about how best to structure the topics.  This is a possibility, but I’m concerned that a few committed students would take on the task before anyone else had a chance.

Or, what if there was a forum where multiple people could write a synopsis for a page and then everyone vote on the best one, which then gets added to the contents.  This would give students opportunity for creating the synopsis and engaging with other student’s work in a deeper, more reflective way.  Hmm, will have to see how I can put that in the requirements.

As part of the ongoing saga about the netfilters here in Aus, I went looking for what things there were that helped young people understand the implications of internet use.  I came across Cybersmart Detective, a website that is supported by ACMA (The Australian Communications and Media Authority).  The website states that it is

an innovative online game that teaches children key internet safety messages in a safe environment.

That sounds all well and good.  But, I have some doubts.  Serious doubts.  You see, I never take a website on face value (and neither should you).  So I poked around and found their privacy statement.  Their safety policy and disclaimer are similarly worded.  Not so the credits.  Someone takes credit for this site.

I’ve sceencapped the privacy statement for posterity.  Just in case they realise the mistake that they made in 2006 and get around to correcting it.

I find this very ironic and really hope that someone thinks of the children’s education and their ability to actually make decisions about what’s safe and not on the web.

I’m Net Alarmed!  Are you?

I have this idea for a paper but I’m not sure where it’s going.  I started writing it years ago and have somehow managed to commit myself to it for my annual review.  The paper is about blogging but I am now more interested in the notion of collaborating with yourself in a blog - getting back to the notion of journaling as a process of developing one’s ideas.  Then I realised that I’m very slack at doing that exact thing, even though I know there is value in it.  I think one of the things that prevents me is the fear of getting into a two digit readership.  This blog is for me (and anyone else who happens to stumble upon it) and it’s supposed to be where I develop my ideas.  But I’m slack.

Part of the idea of doing this is getting those little bits of writing done.  Engaging with literature and thoughts and all manner of things (that aren’t thoughts or literature … is there anything else?).  But I keep hesitating.  It’s as if future me doesn’t matter.  But I want to talk to future me.  That’s what this is all about.  Having a blog or a journal is leaving notes for yourself, talking to future you.  Those thoughts can be revisited while helping to measure change in ideas, growth of knowledge and shifts in perspective.  I want to document them.  I want to be able to come back, but I’m too much the vicarious participant.  If I love reading so much, what’s happened to my writing?

As we near the end of our semester, I’m going to commit to more regular updates, find something worth commenting on, talk to myself, because, really, this is about me.  If you also find something of value, then, hey, that’s great.  But I’m talking to myself now.

By extension …

Because some people watch pornography online, all people shall have an internet filter.

Because some people use speeding cars to kill people, all cars will come with a speed limiter.

Because some people use guns to shoot people, all guns will come with blocked barrels.

Because some people use ladders to break into houses, all ladders will come with no rungs.

Because some people break windows, all rocks will be ground to sand.

Because some people protest, all people will be without voice …

See: No Clean Feed? Be Alarmed! Somebody Think of the Children!!!!!!!!

Yesterday was the due date for my undergrads big assignment.  Online submission, three files, many requirements.  Like always, there was many many many last minute panics.  Everything from pdfing files (not required) to clicking submit before uploading files.  I told students I would try to respond within 30 minutes and for the most part, I did, but some students felt that was too short and used other communication channels so I had messages coming from every direction (including a phone call from the help desk, following from their email about a student (who had aready emailed me and to which I had already responded) to which I had already responded (both the student AND helpdesk)).

I’m now convinced that students do not read.  Period.  All the information was there (and I suppose I should give credit to the 50% of students who didn’t need help), but seriously, how hard is it?  The explanation is there, there’s a downloadable file, and there’s the printout we gave them 9 weeks ago.  It’s shocking to have to keep a whole day clear because some students don’t listen.

But I digress.

It’s over, that’s what counts.

Now to get on with my research while my tutors mark. Or maybe put that aside as well and enjoy the seven days before my daughter flies to Canada to embark on a new career (not to mention life and climate).

Dang, and now the drummer has started up.  I just wish he’d focus on his sense of rhythm, which I’m lead to believe is really important for drummers.