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Mostly the first Moodle web tutorial was easy enough. Shouldn’t be too hard to get the hang of this thing after a few more sessions. Feels like it will be a pretty powerful tool, for sure. My experience with various CMS should help though. There were a few steps that were a bit confusing or did not play out like I thought they would or perhaps they should have. In particular, I was not able to “Select 5 as the Grade” as the Grade menu did not become available to me after selecting the average of ratings. And as a words guy I sometime get thrown off when things don’t appear EXACTLY the same in the activity as they do in the instructions. I am never quite comfortable when the script doesn’t play out exactly the same as it reads. Probably because of one too many badly mangled Ikea projects, or something (did you know that ‘Ikea’ is actually Swedish for ‘Satan’?). I did make an educated guess in a few instances and I think it worked out. That or perhaps I was on the wrong page and did in fact take a wrong turn. But overall it seems like the interface is pretty easy to use and perhaps slightly more user friendly than the experiences I have had with WebCT/ Blackboard to date. Although that LMS isn’t all that bad either. Good to start playing in the sandbox though! Very good, because the more I read about using an LMS with First Nations learners, the more I feel that how the site is set up is going to be vital to success. Good times and Moodle salad!

Some really intersting information in here, including a rubric-like chart (see Table 1: Benefits and barriers of the use of specific social software), reagrding using social software in developing countries. There are some interesting points that relate directly to class discussion regarding Pro-D, I think. Thought folks may be inetrested. Also a fantastic bibliography with some resources definitely worth checking out.

 

 

I don’t think that I am alone when I say that my perception of open source is that it is low cost. In fact, if I was to play word association and said “open source” I think i might follow that up with “free”. I’d be curious how many other people would say the same thing? However, as this article shows, there are plenty of costs, and just because an LMS provider may offer its code as “open source” doesn’t mean they aren’t in pursuit of making some serious cashishe.

“Open Source does not prevent these projects from going commercial. Both Dokeos and Moodle are developed by companies which sell support, customization and site hosting even though they allow the full source code to be downloaded free of charge.” (pg. 219 “Open Source Course Management Systems: a Case Study” by Eric Rémy)

Definitely something to think about in terms of LMS evaluation, me thinks. How about you?

To get at that tool kit. Can’t wait to get my hands a little more dirty. Nobody can keep us from Moodle and the great educational beyond, but still. Come on people! What are you waiting for? Pick a date and give the Man your deets!

Such a beautiful couple of days with all this snow. Definitely love what it does to the sound and air…..

So much new technology! And such a different ways of thinking about it. It’s wonderful to be engaging with the internet AND education and really almost a lifetime of interests, in one place. Feels like my thinking shifts daily to deal with all of the new information and possibilities. It is a little bit daunting to be evaluating all of these technologies at once; but very, very exciting too. Today I start a weekly one hour with the Haisla. I am of course very pleased about what that might mean and in addition to further questions for ken, I do want to start asking about archiving and resources I might be able to access there.

Anyway, with thanks for the snow, it’s onward!

I’ve really been wrestling with how to examine this course. I am completely committed to this project with the Haisla. I think it is very important and I see my own future really tied to it. I hate to use the term “calling” because it is really over used, but I definitely feel the pull. However, it would likely be much easier on me to look at one the college classes I teach (Technical Writing, for example) and apply the learning in 565 to that. MUCH easier. However, I can’t imagine it would be anywhere near as fulfilling. At certain points in life you just have to take a risk. It’s what I always try and teach writing students (conventional will get you ZZZZZZZZZZZs) and now I am being forced to put my money where my mouth is. Or not (the last day to withdraw is Monday;-). Fortunately, there is a beautiful place called the library and I have been able to find some great scholarship on this type of project. Always very comforting to be able to draw on the experience of those who came before you. Anyway, I found these really interesting articles that are related to my own project, even though they may approach the topic from different angles and fields. Definitely useful for those working with First Nations learners, storytelling and technology, me thinks.

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*Looks like these  links may actually break the law (thanks John) so I will look for another way to post.In the meantime, however, here are the names of those articles:

“Meeting in the Middle: An Exploration of Distance and First Nation Education in Canada.” By Teprine Baldo

“The ANCESTOR (AborigiNal Computer Education through STORytelling) Project: Aboriginal Youth Engagement in Alternative Careers.” by Marla Weston and Dianne Biin

“Flattening the World from the Inside: Digital Storytelling with Incarcerated Youth” by
Raj Boora, Diane Conrad, Susan Spence-Campbell

“E-Learning in Remote First Nations: The BC – Yukon First Nations’ Health Network” by
David G. Harper, Ph.D.

 

My friend Ken spoke today as part of the Joint Review Panel on the Enbridge Northern Gateway Pipeline project. Ken is a Chief of the Eagle Clan for the Haisla people in Kitimat British Columbia. He is the reason I am taking this class. I am trying to find a way to work with Ken and his people to preserve the stories of his life in two languages (Haisla and English). I hope to work with both youth and adult learners in the area on this project and to develop a way which might help them learn to adopt and integrate technology into their story telling methods while documenting the stories of this wonderful man’s life. It’s definitely not a conventional classroom project, I don’t think. But it is most definitely a teaching and learning project.

Today Chief Ken called the prospect of piping oil through his hereditary land in the pristine Kitlope Valley and ‘double barrelled shotgun.’ His statement is currently reverberating across Canada in the national media. Although the topic of the conversation is an entry of its own to say the least, after talking with him on the phone shortly after the end of the day’s testimony, I think that this is quite a moment for Ken and his people. I hope so.

One of the most interesting aspects of my work with Ken is that it has become almost entirely through the telephone. It’s been a powerful way for us to stay in contact but has also placed some serious limitations on our ability to communicate.  And while I enjoy talking with him on the phone I do wish that I was there with him in person. But it reminds me that this distance is an important part of our project and that I should be thinking about the limitations of communicating at a distance, especially with the elderly, and perhaps even more so with First Nations elders. The phone works to a degree. However, I am skeptical that it will be possible to integrate greater levels of technology to our project without the involvement of others in the area who may be more comfortable and capable with computers. I need to ask what type of equipment is available at the schools and at the council office.

A few things really stood out to me in the testimony today.

One was that only the audio was available through the link I found through the National Energy Board. No video. And while I was waiting for the hearing to begin there was a stream of really lousy elevator music. Well, at 9 o’clock I am wondering when things are going to get started and through the bad music I start to hear drums, then singing and then really loud and powerful drums and singing to match. Extremely emotional and extremely moving, even from the distance and through the medium. And even through the bad music the technician chose not to turn down but was eventually drowned out.

The second was that the chair of the JRP chose to interrupt Chief Sam Robinson during the beginning of the hearing. Maybe she had to, maybe she didn’t. But she did. It seemed strange for her to dictate how things would proceed, even though she is in his land.

Third, the Globe and Mail chose to quote Robinson as saying, “Walk softly on our road,” he said. “We are very happy to have you in our territory. Good luck.” However, I believe that Robison added the phrase “Or go around.” Not sure why the Globe chose not to report that.

Fourth, Ken deliberately acknowledged the ‘internet’ while he was speaking.

Fifth, I am tired and going to bed.

Good night technology.

This is Ground Control to Major Tom. This is the first post to ETEC 565A

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