Join the Learning Revolution at Newham College of Further Education

Last week (27/10-30/10) I joined a group of group of Cluj-based Romanian experts in adult education for a visit to London, part of a Leonardo project aiming to exchange good practices on adult e-learning in Europe. We attended a most interesting workshop on the role and benefits of implementing a VLE for the college courses aimed at a very numerous student population.

Newham College of Further Education is a college of further education in the London Borough of Newham, United Kingdom. Previously called Newham Community College, it was created from the merger of the former West Ham College and East Ham College. The main site is in East Ham, with a further site in Stratford, and six further local neighbourhood learning centres. An Oftsted report following a 2009 inspection awarded the school a Grade 1 (outstanding). The college is a member of the 157 Group of high performing school (Source: Wikipedia).

 Our hostess, Mrs. Joyce Amato, and her team introduced us to the college Moodle-based VLE, called New Learning, the result of two-year efforts to integrate technology in learning.
Definitely, where there is a will there's a way... and it's up to us to decide whether we want or not to join this Revolution!

Din nou despre tehnologii si alte minunatii

Rima involuntara din titlu e binevenita. Pentru ca la inceput de septembrie in minunata Creta am avut parte de reteta ideala cu ingredientele mele preferate. In ordinea preferintelor: Mediterana, oameni minunati de la care ai de invatat, multe idei si metode noi, sentimentul ca nu lucrezi in van.

Scoala de vara la prof integrarea tehnologiilor web 2.0 in predarea limbilor straine

View more presentations from Cristina Felea.

Summer School in Chania

Busy, busy...

Introduction to Web2.0 & Language Learning, LaProf Summer School 2010

View more presentations from MARIA PERIFANOU.

Sir Ken Robinson's "Bring on the Learning Revolution!"

No comment for now. Enjoy!

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?

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)