Impact study

An impact study of my Work Based Major Project.

WBMP word cloud

The Work Based Major Project is coming along and is almost complete. I daren’t post it here in full until it is marked and when it is, you will be able to see it here.

What I can do though is to pass it through Wordle and the result is above. Looks like the themes of the project are clear from this simple analysis! (Click the image for a better look)

Downtime

http://twitter.com/ultraversity/status/62208630543482881

My dissertation will be submitted 48 hours later, apologies for the inconvenience!

Grrrrr! If only.

iPad experiment

Like the fanboy that I am, last night I queued for just over 2 hours to pick up a shiny new iPad 2, 32 GB, Wi-Fi model. I had never owned an iPad before and the feature bumps and quicker processor in the second incarnation of the device managed to persuade me to part with my cash.

So why am I putting this rather un-interesting news on a degree blog? Well, many people are calling the iPad a post-pc device, inferring that the device is like the next version of the personal computer to be used by the masses. Being an ICT teacher by trade, I obviously am wanting to get in on the action and see the devices application in the workplace / classroom. What I am proposing to do is to spend as much time on the iPad as I can and detach from my laptop. Is this possible with the current feature set and notable limitations of the device? That’s what I want to find out. Are the limitations of the device actually a new framework for using a device like this? These are all things I want to look into.

Now, I might be absolutely mad doing this now at the stage where there is only about a month to go until the work based major project is handed in, but that fits in nicely with the experiment, can I finish my work based major project on an iPad? That will be something to tell the grandkids…

The experiment has already begun, I am writing this post on the aforementioned device and I have already noticed how quickly I can type and also just how few mistakes I make on this keyboard!

So here we go, into the unknown, but the very exciting!

Work Based Major Project – Dissemination

Below you will find a YouTube video containing my dissemination proceedings for the on-line event.

Once you have viewed the video, if you would please:

• Leave a comment on this post with some general feedback
• Rate this post
• Complete the feedback survey (click to view)

All three would be fantastic and greatly appreciated, but please leave what feedback you can 🙂

2010 in review

The stats helper monkeys at WordPress.com mulled over how this blog did in 2010, and here’s a high level summary of its overall blog health:

The Blog-Health-o-Meter™ reads This blog is doing awesome!.

Crunchy numbers

The Leaning Tower of Pisa has 296 steps to reach the top. This blog was viewed about 1,000 times in 2010. If those were steps, it would have climbed the Leaning Tower of Pisa 3 times

In 2010, there were 24 new posts, growing the total archive of this blog to 72 posts. There were 17 pictures uploaded, taking up a total of 9mb. That’s about a picture per month.

The busiest day of the year was October 9th with 19 views. The most popular post that day was The four stages of learning.

Where did they come from?

The top referring sites in 2010 were researchers.ultraversity.net, bigextracash.com, ultraversitybloggers.blogspot.com, samuelsbay.wordpress.com, and firstclass.ultraversity.net.

Some visitors came searching, mostly for swot analysis sample, swot analysis nursing, swot analysis, sample swot analysis, and my swot analysis.

Attractions in 2010

These are the posts and pages that got the most views in 2010.

1

The four stages of learning September 2010
1 comment

2

Trial dissemination method October 2010
4 comments

3

Development of a new skill within Moodle March 2010
1 comment

4

What is a ‘learning organisation’? February 2010
4 comments

5

About September 2008

Something from twitter

http://twitter.com/#!/tobyadams/status/29654836695

Looking back on alternative media

An excerpt from an alternative media assignment

Throughout my previous study, I have learnt many skills that I do not have the space here to list. One specific I want to unpack here is the concept of using alternative media to present assignments. University is all too often associated with 3,000 word essays and the like, but it really does not have to be that way.

I have made use of a variety of media to present my assignments and I am lucky that I work with a University / Faculty that embraces this medium. I have used everything from Poetry to Animation. As long as the medium accurately meets the outcomes required of the assignment, what’s the problem? I would even go to say that my faculty would prefer to see a 5 minute animation than a 1,500 essay! Some examples I have used in past study:

1. Poetry – depicting a critical incident of a trip to China with Students, learning valuable lessons of pastoral care.
2. Vlog – talking freely, prompted by notes, about an event. Feedback on this is that it promotes deeper reflection. I have to agree.
3. Animated presentations – presentations done in Apple Keynote that allow the user to interact with the presentation and advance at their own pace.
4. Emails to a hypothetical freiend – encourages persuasive techniques around an academic subject.

These are just a few examples of how I have utilised alternative media in my studies, I look forward to a time where assignment submission in these media is common place in all levels of education, because lets be real here, when do you write essays in ‘the real world’?

Related Articles

• Marketing Through Alternative Media (marketingpr.suite101.com)
• Know The Ways for Essay Help (socyberty.com)
• Up, Up, and Away: How a group of researchers is reinventing school libraries (schoollibraryjournal.com)
• SlideRocket Adds Collaboration, Analytics Features (informationweek.com)
• Keynotopia Wireframing Set: Free Wireframing Templates for Apple Keynote (smashingmagazine.com)

Trial dissemination method

Please feel free to rate and comment on the video.

Level 3 initial thoughts

Nearly there.

So, the last and final year of my undergraduate degree. Woah that went fast! It only seems like yesterday that I was undertaking my on-line induction to the course. But enough of the reminiscence, onwards and upwards!

I have been looking forward to this Semester all summer as the topics covered are of particular interest to me. First off there is Technology for Dissemination, this is looking at ways for information to be presented, to who and for what purpose… or as far as my understanding at this point can deliver. I am swaying towards web technologies for this section as I have built tobyadams.tk over the summer, a project to firstly get myself a home on the web, but secondly to get to grips with technology that allows the presentation of virtually any information in virtually any format on the web.

The second major chunk is the Work Based Major Project which looks directly at practice and incorporates previous study of reflection, action enquiry, examination of organisational learning and all manner of other methodologies, techniques and models. I am initially thinking of something along the lines of bringing personal practice in line with QTS (Qualified Teacher Status) standards. I do this as this is pivotal to my role and will put me in good stead for my eventual teacher training.

Whether or not any of this will come through as the weeks go on is uncertain, but I start this Semester ladies and Gentlemen with high hopes and high anticipation of the studies ahead. Lets go!

ILLUMINATE – Anglia Ruskin’s 11th Annual Learning and Teaching Conference

Dr. Bill Rankin taking Q&A at the opening keynote

So yesterday I had the privilege of attending Anglia Rusking for the first time in my degree. It was for a conference regarding:

Sharing and disseminating information.
The conference includes two opportunities for you to participate in presentations and workshops on pedagogic projects undertaken by our colleagues. Many of these are the outcomes of work undertaken from current and past Learning and Teaching Projects.

Learning new things.
Throughout the day, and particularly during the lunch period and at the Conference Reception, there will be the opportunity to learn about and experience some innovative ideas that you can try for yourself. They include:

• Library learning support resources
• Assistive technologies for marking students’ work and giving feedback
• Glo Maker – for developing adaptive multimedia learning resources
• Using Turnitin for preventing plagiarism
• Using mobile technologies.

In addition, delegates will be given the use of an Apple iPod touch for the day!  Conference information will be available on the iTouches, and there will be help for those of us who have yet to come to terms with this up to the minute technology!

Vice Chancellor’s address.
Our Vice Chancellor, Professor Mike Thorne, will give a keynote address in which he will focus on some of our strategic learning and teaching objectives for the coming year. This will be followed by round table discussions on the issues raised.

Announcement of Teaching Fellowship Awards and Learning and Teaching Projects.
For an exciting finale, we shall be presenting our new University Teaching Fellows, and will announce the successful applicants to our Learning and Teaching Project fun

It was a very enjoyable event with an inspired opening to the event by Dr. Bill Rankin on  ‘Next-Wave Mobility and the Three Ages of Information’ which looked at the development of learning materials from the Scroll to the iPad and beyond towards full interactive e-books for the future.

Next up was ‘Formative Assessment using Web 2.0 technology (blogging) to support students with Asperger’s syndrome undertaking their dissertation proposal’ another inspiring session that showed results of using blogging with Aspergic students.

The second session of the day was ‘New VLE – “same old, same old” – or new opportunities?’ which looked at the development of Anglia’s VLE system in hierarchical format of the different systems being used to create the environment.

All in all the event was mainly focused on staff from the University, but it was something that I was able to draw inspiration from and identify nuggets of information to improve my practice.

Exhibiting research, learning and change.

So, hot off the heels of uploading the last parts of Year 2, my thoughts now go towards Year 3 and my major project. From what I have seen of others that have gone before me and the resources available for Year 3 activities, it all looks geared towards exhibiting my findings. Since starting the course, I have tried to embrace and utilise alternative media as much as possible i.e. not your standard University essay, but a video, poem, poster and so on. I am a bit of an Internet fanatic so I am naturally looking to present my work on-line in some way. This academic year I got to flex my creative muscles by working with a colleague to create a departmental website, so I plan to take what has been learnt from that experience and gear it towards exhibiting my third year work. The disadvantage to publishing on-line is that it does come at a (small) cost… but! There is a YouTube video that presents a way of hosting a website for free:

So, I am now live at http://tobyadams.99k.org where I hope it will play a centric role to my third and final years studies and research.

Almost there

TWS

LWS

So, the end of the second year is almost in sight. I am now at the stage where I am going through my completed assignments and refining them. I thought it might be an idea to run the whole modules through wordle.net I have done this before and it has yeilded some interesting results. Above are both my Technology in the work setting and Learning in the work setting modules as wordles!

An introduction to Reflective Practice through Google

For anyone starting out, looking at Reflective Practice is a tricky topic to get your head around. Below is a video I made with Google Search Stories to illustrate my journey through:

This is a retrospective journey, mind. I by no way consider myself an expert on the subject of Reflective Practice, but my assignment on the subject is quite popular on YouTube 🙂

Apple Teacher Institute 2010- Cheltenham College

This year I was lucky enough to attend the Apple Teacher Institute where I engaged with 4 days of activities at Cheltenham college, all centred around using Apple creative products in Education. I met some wonderful people there, all wanting to develop their skills. There was a representative from Hull University there that offered delegates of the event the opportunity of accreditation through reflection, this was something I jumped at! Not quite the structured reflection I was used to as based on the guide, it was more like a learning log. I chose to produce it as a blog post, which can be seen at my departmental blog here.

It was a wonderful event and I strongly recommend future events to anyone looking to use technology in their teaching.