Image courtesy of Marty S Flickr

What better way to INVITE learning for myself and for others than with authentic lifelong learning demonstrated anticipated expected? Rather like Confidence-Based Learning, in a Personal Learning Network feedback is immediate and self correction/explanation also, which raises engagement and retention.

It is the rising tide of collaboration…the transparency in thinking…which has raised all ships.

Everybody benefits from the transparency. This is a trend that is not going away. As an employer, I am looking for evidence of professional participation, leadership and self promotion. A transcript or resume just cannot tell the whole story. Self promotion, participation beyond the daily task list from the project manager…these are the traits worth rewarding. When faced with difficult choices in today’s economy, those who extend ideas which help the larger cause will always be valued more highly than those who feel entitled because of a resume, transcript, years of service. I love the quote above “You don’t have to write your online bio, but it will be written.” So, I will add: “You don’t have to prove your worth, but it will be determined.”  End of quote.

Ruth’s Summary:Transparent Learning for Professional Participation

Image via Wikipedia

Will Richardson’s post points out how social media tools exclude particular learning styles. The point Will makes about Blogs requiring good reading/writing skills is certainly true of how many people practice and teach blogging. But I think that’s an outcome of the current education system – we approach blogging like writing pads/books.

Blogs will become Vlogs and there’s so much that a human body can do in front of a video camera. (Did I say that?-having said that I’m not there yet!). YouTube is the second most popular search engine.

Surely Wii opens up huge possibilities for visual/aural/kinesthetic learners…Im in love with the possibilities/realities that new digital technologies are providing.

I’m also reflecting on the technical debate about Waldorf education that Will Richardson discussed. The ‘virtual reality‘ reality makes me want Harry’s (3 years old) world grounded so he can transit between worlds more consciously. Which is partially why I’m thinking about Waldorf education. I’m off to the Tarremah Steiner School on wednesday.

I figure that I myself expose Harry to technology (we dont have a tv) and it will be widely available to him elsewhere. So too  I’m exposing him to phonics, he naturally inquires about letters and words. I let him guide me there.

I get that my ideas may not fulfill the Steiner philosophy however every Steiner School openly interprets the original Steiner pedagogy, just as in Christianity and Buddhism each vision is so different! So I can give Harry things that Steiner education wont and that’s the beauty.

The underlying community/earth centred spirituality, the emphasis on imagination, sensory play, beauty these are child (human) essentials. Harry will be more than what he can do for a living. It’s the why he’s doing it, how he creates it and who (how many?) is he serving that will be significant. And how he feels about it of course!

• I’ve been looking for a solution to easy editing of images and text for blog posts. I think that Windows Live Writer is that solution.

• I usually use Scribefire (can save to draft)

• Clipmarks (no drafts) to post content directly from the web. Clipmarks is a favourite because it actually embeds text box functionality into my food trend blog-Ive customised a search tool just by Clipmarking search boxes! So now to try if Clipmarks will post to Live Writer and on to blog?

• I love “blog this” Flickr. It is beautiful for inserting creative commons images found on Flickr. I wonder if it posts to Live Writer? Otherwise just to have my draft written and add to “blog this”. I need to have my post thought out like Clipmarks no drafts.

• Zemanta Firefox Extension is another free blog software from which I can blog images and text, with built in content suggestions. So far the images are small compared to “Blog this” not very lush-and I’ve yet to get up and running with it. It appears distracting its not really like I’m seeking new info I usually have things I want to explore…Ive since unplugged from Zemanta as I do find it distracting and I dont favour the size of the images nor the settings for their placement.

• Windows Live Writer Fast-loading, I can manage both of my blogs in one place (without logging into each one). Insert maps, tables, pictures, videos, tags, plugins. Ping and trackbacks. I can see my entire post without having to keep scrolling!!! Write my post offline without even browsing the web. Drafts can be saved directly to the web. And significantly I can focus on my content without getting distracted by learning my Wordpress dashboard! It’s a few weeks now and I haven’t been using Livewriter, I’ve so far preferred Scribefire and just getting use to this tiny editing window! I keep thinking that Google Notes must have a use…if I have an idea for a discussion I’ll file it away inside my dashboard under unpublished posts to chew on.