Altruism - Digital!

Digital Altruism - something that instantly appealed to my lifelong commitment to doing unconditional good! Please watch the inspirational presentation below - it really makes you want to go on and find a/the meaning of so many wonderful things people think and do!

Digital altruism

View more presentations from Sorey Garcia.

"Better late than never" - First Impressions (do they last longer?!)

"Better late than ever" - This is the motto one of my first year undergrads chose for his wiki page in the project started this semester. He meant it as an ironical reminder that,

yes, he managed to catch up with the missed/skipped classes,
yes, his assignments were late but

we should all be happy and stop moaning because

yes, he managed to do it! Wow! Cool!

It is too early for conclusions regarding the project. There are yet questions to be answered - questionnaires, interviews and my own reflections as noted in a modest "campaign diary"...

Still, my student's motto sadly illustrates young Romanians' plight on the road to a belated modernity - a mixture of their inability to cope with academic requirements on their own (most likely residual effects of an overprotective/ authoritarian educational environment) and the desire to save face derived, I would assume, from either a long-lasting tradition of "I-have-to-preserve-my-dignity-no-matter-what" or a sudden awakening to the real world that, good God, hasn't waited for us, hurry up, time's running out, please wait for usssssss!!!

Bitter joke apart, I believe that the most important gain of this project is that 

yes, I managed to put up wikis and organise them for my classes,
yes, the project failed along most dimensions but

we should be happy and stop moaning because

yes, I sort of found a way back to my real world students,
I can look them in the eyes with a renewed sense of joy - 

Here we are, admitting failure, learning from our mistakes
that a step-by-step approach is better than working in fits and starts
that "the New" should not be a scary movie with dark characters,
and,
hopefully, this will add to the other foundation blocks we all need in
our personal and professional development.

(yes, you've heard well, I said "we" - there's no doubt that one of the greatest satisfactions
is to learn together with/ from one's students)

Wikis in University Teaching and Learning

I believe that anyone who watches Richard Buckland's presentation will understand the definite advantages of using wikis in tertiary education. As already known, this pedagogical approach relies heavily on collaborative principles and a philosophy of trust and respect between teachers and students who, simply, become LEARNERS who are not afraid of sharing and building knowledge together.Enjoy!

First Attempt at Wiki Project

The following is a brief presentation of our first attempt at implementing a wiki project for students in social sciences (Faculty of Sociology and Social Work) at Babes-Bolyai University of Cluj.
Cristina Felea & Liana Stanca.

As numerous research projects (see my provisional Diigo list of references) have demonstrated, Wiki technology and wiki tools are efficient instruments for implementing collaborative learning in teaching English as a Foreign Language (EFL) and particularly English for Specific/Academic Purposes (ESP/EAP).
In the second stage of Web evolution, known as semantic Web (see Tim Berners-Lee), collaboration is the key word of all activities performed on and offline.Constructivist approaches to learning and Web 2.0 tools have developed together into new paradigms for sustainable models of lifelong learning. According to Lev Vygotsky, learners develop socially when they collaborate with their more capable peers. In this context, individuals learn in accordance with their own aspirations to reach the social level they initially planned to attain. Our article will describe the introduction of the wiki tool in the process of teaching ESP/EAP for EFL undergraduate students in social sciences. Although also used for course and syllabus management, our wiki project aims at enhancing students’ and teacher’s involvement in collaborative online content creation with special emphasis on the participatory dimension of both parties.
The wiki learning platform has been designed to support a flexible approach of the EAP course. Materials are presented in a variety of formats (audio, video, multimedia) embedded in a gradual guided approach (accompanied by reference links to EAP tutorials from other universities and internet-based activities tutorials adapted to students’ needs) to learning in a Web 2.0 environment. Our aim is to set up a statistical study of the effects of introducing Web 2.0 tools in the learning process of students who only have computer and internet basic skills. This will be a first step in investigating the impact of Web 2.0 technologies on students’ acquisitions. Our research will move on to a series of experiments designed to create a device to assist teachers in creating a collaborative environment based on learners’ compatibility and affinities drawing on Vygotsky’s social constructivist approach and using methods from the game theory.

Angela Meiers’s - My L.O.V.E. Affair with Learning

Cred ca aceasta scurta si pasionata interventie a Angelei Meiers (reputat si respectat blogger si educator) ma ajuta sa raspund la cateva intrebari legate de adevarata frenezie a invatarii care m-a cuprins de o vreme incoace. Ii voi da ei cuvantul (traducerea este mai mult o adaptare…!)

    I love learning. I love being around people who are passionate about their own lifelong journey of learning and teaching. It's contagious.

Imi place grozav sa invat. Ma simt extraordinar in preajma oamenilor pasionati de propria odisee a cunoasterii si a instruirii celorlalti. Este molipsitor.

     As I reflect on these past 20 years of working in this great profession of education, and particularly the past few years of worldwide connections I've been fortunate to find due to the blogosphere, I'm excited about learning now more than ever. I strive for at least one WOW each day.

Reflectand la cei 20 de ani de activitate in aceasta minunata profesie de educator si mai ales la acesti ultimi ani in care am fost norocoasa sa-mi creez contacte in toata lumea datorita blogosferei, constat ca invatarea ma entuziasmeaza mai mult decat oricand. Ma stradui sa am parte de cel putin o exclamatie de entuziasm zilnic.   

On this day where we celebrate sharing our hearts and passion, I thought I'd share something I've been thinking on for a few days.

In aceasta zi in care ne celebram pasiunea si entuziasmul, voi impartasi cu voi cateva ganduri.

    My L.O.V.E. Affair With Learning

     Literacy: Though we often think about literacy with regard to book learning, there is so much more to literacy than that. Social literacy and how we interact with others. Health literacy and how we treat our bodies. Global and Economic literacies and how we are supporters of our neighbors and steward of our possessions. And with changes constantly about, we continue to learn.

 Alfabetizare / (Competente de baza in actualele discutii din domeniul pedagogiei, nota mea, CF) – Cu toate ca asociem acest termen cu invatarea traditionala pe baza cartilor, exista acum mult mai multe tipologii de luat in considerare: competente sociale sau felul cum interactionam cu ceilalti, competente legate de sanatate si felul cum ne tratam corpul, competente globale si economice sau cum ne sprijinim vecinii sau ne gestionam proprietatile. Cu toate schimbarile care au loc in permanenta, continuam sa invatam.

  Odyssey: And with changes constantly about ... we realize learning is not a destination (and I think this is what I love most about learning), but a lifelong journey. Who knew 4 or 5 years ago we would be sharing our thoughts via blogs and wikis and Twitter?

 Cu toate schimbarile care au loc in permanenta… realizam ca invatarea nu este o destinatie (si asta imi place cel mai mult la invatare) ci o calatorie de o viata, Cine s-ar fi gandit acum 4-5 ani ca ne vom impartasi gandurile prin intermediul blogurilor, al wiki-urilor sau pe Twitter?

     Valuable: Our brains are pattern-seeking, meaning-making muscles. Thank goodness for that, because otherwise the noise would be too much to filter. Each of us have different styles and reasons to learn. What I am learning (important to me) may not be your cup of tea -- and that's okay, as long as each of us continue to find value in what we are learning, we will continue in our learning odyssey.

Valoare: creierul nostru este un muschi aflat in cautare de modele/ configuratii si creator de sensuri. Slava domnului ca este asa fiindca altfel nu ar putea filtra harmalaia generala, Fiecare dintre noi avem stiluri si moduri diferite de a invata. Ceea ce invat eu (ce e important pentru mine) poate sa nu ti se potriveasca tie – si asta este in regula - atata vreme cat fiecare dintre noi incearca sa gaseasca valoare in ceea ce invata, ne vom continua odiseea cunoasterii.

     Enduring: The most important part of lifelong learning is that it endures. That's the passion part of our love affair. And yet, just like in this acronym - it's often silent and unrecognized. I ask students from 17 to 70 what drives them to continue to learn. Often, a shrug of the shoulders is the immediate answer. If we recognize our enduring love affair with learning, we will continue to nurture it, and even spread it with enthusiasm.

Cea mai importanta componenta a invatarii permanente este ca e durabila. Aceasta e componenta de pasiune din povestea noastra de dragoste. Si totusi, la fel ca in acronimul pe care l-am creat, este adesea tacuta si nerecunoscuta. Intreb studenti cu varste intre 17 si 70 de ani ce-i face sa continue sa invete. Adesea, ridica din umeri. Daca recunoastem ca avem o nesfarsita poveste de dragoste cu invatatura, vom continua sa o cultivam sis a o daruim si altora cu entuziasm.

     It is my hope that you are having a lifelong LOVE affair with your learning, and you spread it infectiously to everyone you meet.

Sper ca si voi traiti o poveste de dragoste cu invatarea si ii molipsiti pe toti aceia pe care-I intalniti.

    But let me ask you this: What drives you to continue to learn (watch the shoulders)

Dar dati-mi voie sa va intreb: Ce va face sa continuati sa invatati (atentie la umeri).

Trust and Respect

Yes, it is time consuming, yes, sometimes you feel discouragingly insignificant in such a huge blogosphere, yes, the impact you produce is next to zero in this stage, but… but…

The satisfaction to discover and re-discover out there thoughts and ideas you have always had and kept for yourself for some reason compensates for the “wasted time” and transforms it in “time regained” because finding out there, in the wide world, people sharing same values and attitudes compensates for the frustration of not finding them in the immediate proximity. However, I know there are such people around, and I’ll do my best to find them.
As to the impact, I don’t worry, you can’t have it in such a short time. Making an impact needs patience, focus and self-confidence…and trust from others.

At the same time, yes, Trust and Respect, said Chris Betcher on his blog, Betchablog, are decisive values in the creation of a good relationship between educators and students. This reminded me of old wounds – the suspicion climate in a Romania traumatised by communism –
So, others too fight rigid frames within which you “are guilty until proven guilty” – others too have to fight educational policies in which students roles are restrained to accepting passively decisions taken for them, with too little space left for discussion or negotiation –

Food for thought for all of us: to what extent do we offer our students a framework based on TRUST and RESPECT, meant to bring us THEIR Trust and Respect?
Or, in Chris Betcher’s words: Seriously, what’s the worst thing that could happen if we created an environment of trust and respect?

Online learning

Pentru cei interesati in invatarea online (sincrona), iata o prezentare cat se poate de user-friendly! Atat pentru azi, enjoy!

Live Video Classes on Internet by Mark Cruthers

Get your own Virtual Classroom

Entuziastul de serviciu...! (or I was volunteered to be on call!)

Sunt in acea etapa in care as putea foarte usor sa spun ca "vorbesc in desert", "predic in pustie", etc, manata de sentimentul de vacuitate mioritica - ce rost are?


Ce rost are sa scrii aici cand intr-o analiza recenta (Timsoft, RoBloggerSurvey 2007) a blogosferei romanesti cu subiect educational, numarul celor care se "afla in treaba" ca mine este destul de mic. Totusi, vesti bune sunt despre utilizarea tehnologiilor web 2.0 in scoli si facultati. Si speranta ca tot mai multi profesori vor intelege ca deschiderea spre lumea cea mare este mai mult decat participarea la un proiect care, dupa doi sau trei ani, nu se mai continua fiindca, nu-i asa, nu mai sunt fonduri sau "resursa umana" nu mai corespunde, doreste etc.
Cred cu tarie ca fiecare institutie de invatamant are "entuziastii de serviciu", cei care fac  mai mult decat le cere fisa postului, cei care au "viziune" si care au stiinta de multiplele avantaje in plan profesional al retelelor sociale de comunicare formale si informale.
In consecinta, as vrea aici sa-i provoc la discutie pe cei apropiati mie, colegii mei de la Departamentul de Limbi Straine de Specialitate (DLSS) al Facultatii de Litere (UBB Cluj), precum si pe cei implicati in predarea limbilor straine la studenti nefilologi si, nu in ultimul rand pe cei interesati/implicati, in mod practic, intr-un invatamant de calitate.

(To sum up: in spite of (not so) recent surveys results on the Romanian blogosphere (there might be more recent ones that I am not, sadly, aware of) showing a low percentage of educational blogs, there is still good news about their use in schools and higher education. There is, yes, the hope that more and more teachers will realise that, besides projects that involve them in the world academic community, there are a lot of other things that can be done in terms of opening to the wide world by joining professional and/or social networks.
Consequently, I would greatly enjoy to open here a forum of discussion with my colleagues at the Department for Modern Languages for Special Purposes, and all those interested and involved in promoting quality education. An informal discussion has lots of benefits... )

Advantages of Visioning         Avantajele unei viziuni 
(mai mult, aici) cu o traducere aproximativa.

• Breaks you out of boundary thinking.  Va ajuta sa va depasiti propriile limite.
• Provides continuity and avoids the stutter effect of planning fits and starts.Ofera continuitate si evita balbaielile create de planificari mereu intrerupte
• Identifies direction and purpose.Identifica directia si scopul
• Alerts stakeholders to needed change.Alerteaza factorii responsabili la schimbarile de care e nevoie.
• Promotes interest and commitment.Promoveaza interesul si angajarea.
• Promotes laser-like focus.Stimuleaza concentrarea maxima.
• Encourages openness to unique and creative solutions.Incurajeaza deschiderea spre solutii unice si creative.
• Encourages and builds confidence.Stimuleaza si creeaza incredere.
• Builds loyalty through involvement (belonging/ ownership).Creeaza loialitate prin implicare (sentiment de apartenenta)
• Results in efficiency and productivity. Rezulta eficienta si productivitate.

Iar aici ar fi factorii care ne ucid viziunea, cred ca nu mai e nevoie de traducere!

Vision Killers

• Tradition
• Fear of ridicule
• Stereotypes of people, conditions, roles and governing councils
• Complacency of some stakeholders
• Fatigued leaders
• Short-term thinking
• "Naysayers"

In sfarsit, un mic exercitiu de imaginatie:

Data este 2015 si ati reusit, prin munca grea (printr-un miracol, poate!) sa va creati un loc de munca/ colectiv si un statut profesional de invidiat.Cum le-ati descrie, in mod realist?

Multumesc, al dvs.Entuziast de Servicu Cristina

(A little imagination won't hurt: It is 2015. By hard work (and maybe a miracle!) you've succeeded to be part of a work place/ team of your dreams and have created for yourself a wonderful professional status. How would you realistically describe these? Thank you, yours volunteered to be on call, Cristina)

 

Vance Stevens - atentie, profesori!

Din Vance Stevens: MODELING SOCIAL MEDIA IN GROUPS, COMMUNITIES AND NETWORKS
(http://www.tesl-ej.org/wordpress/past-issues/volume13/ej51/ej51int/)

The solution is to offer workshops bottom up, which means that they would be something that staff would organize themselves. Ideally there would be staff who would feel themselves a part of a community of practice and who wish then to engage other members of the community in activities and discourses which would improve the practice of all its participants. CoPs reverse the directionality of the impetus to learn. Rather than there being an onus on teachers to shape up and learn prescribed technologies, the message of these events is more like, “Hey, some of us think we have discovered some new tools that will help our teaching, why don’t we get together and you can show us what you’ve discovered lately, so we can all learn from one another?” In this format, teachers model and demonstrate to one another what they might then pass on to students, and if they do this through social media then they’ll learn about the next generation of social networking technologies as they work together. In other words, rather than fighting technology and considering it a burden, teachers will be using it in ways they can see might be effective with anyone assuming the role of student. But in order for this to happen, teachers need to be given some relief from non-stop teaching and marking, at least the ones who would be willing to get this going.

Dar cel mai bine se vad toate acestea pe Slideshare:

Modeling social media in groups, communities, and networks - Socialnetworking 2009 Online Conference

View more presentations from vances.

La vanatoare de granturi si idei...

Pe ger si viscol spre/dinspre Europa, de luni dimineata, cu greu, tropaind pe coridoare, prin birouri cu fete zambitoare...
Unde e oare acel minunat birou sau acel minunat site care sa gestioneze printr-o inter-fata (!?) prietenoasa batalia omului obisnuit cu hatisurile birocratice?

Nu e! Nu e! Asa ca înarmaţi-vă cu multă răbdare, cu o dantură  care să vă permită să scrâşniţi din dinţi pe când aveţi aerul că zâmbiţi!
Si va amintiti că  munca nu a omorât pe nimeni, dar nici de lene nu se ştie să fi murit cineva.

Ah, da, între timp, poate aruncaţi o privire aici, sunt lucruri frumoase.

E-portfolios si lifelong learning

Iata cateva video-clipuri despre e-portfolios

O introducere simpla si simpatica:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B3tujXlbdk

Utilizarea lor cu studentii
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZ_CRwifBCw

Hmmm, ar fi interesant sa lucram ceva in sensul acesta cu studentii nostri.