Kentucky fast food

Ok can't seem to get away from the food imagery. Here at Presidium and a few minutes to kill so catching up with my blog homework. Haven't got my notes so thought I'd pick up a few of the DF issues that have emerged from the sessions overall. Firstly that DF is being mentioned repeatedly and is definitely on the radar over here. Critical thinking is the area that most are focusing on - particularly around the net gen student.
There are also lots of examples of collaboration across the support services, recognising that the DF agenda has to be multi agency. Much mention of creating learning hubs type environments for academic/staff and support to come together - those I've seen are at the early stages, eg George Mason University Learning Hub (open 2 weeks) - and interestingly they wanted to call it the DF hub but no one connected with that term.
Possibly the most common dilemna under discussion is how to engage academics. Virginia State University have just done the ELI survey on use of technology with their academics and their students and shared some really scary results about how little their staff are using any technology both in their personal life or their academic and that was just the staff who felt it mattered enough to complete the survey (about 8% if I remember correctly) so the true picture may be considerably worse.
Indian University did a session on a new teaching cert for academics on Integrating Technology into the Curriculum, the bar seemed to be set fairly low - requiring one semester of teaching using the CMS and reflecting on it, observing and dicussing an experienced academic using technology effectively in a class and attending at least 6 LTA type seminars run by faculty or centrally. However, I went straight from that session to one of the student showcase things and there was a student from Indiana, showing a video about students experience of technology in the curriculum at Indiana and the only two things repeatedly mentioned were Powerpoint and very occassionally video. Needless to say the staff doing the presentation upstairs had not been aware of the student stuff going on downstairs initially.
Talking of student video the DF event planners may be pleased to hear that not only is Chuck D from University of Central Florida going to contribute to our YouTube but he has also promised to get his students to talk about their experience of DF too - if he delivers then he may well supplant GBA as my fave Deity.

keynote (next bit)

oh dear - he has just invited questions from the floor "what do you guys want to know?" - I think probably where do we keep the torches and pitchforks

Tom Reeves (Georgia) has just asked about role of editorial in lulu and opportunities for publication of holocaust denial materials - hmmm, he can't quite answer it - he must have really upset people if they are railing again the open access principles.

Gardner's student, Serena, has just challenged him about his view about how, as a "damn idiot student", she should do to work better?
on Twitter: "Serena rocks. But her direct query cannot penetrate his cloak of inane self-regard."

Education Publishing: Moving from the 18th to the 21st Century in One Step

keynote - Bob Young is CEO of Lulu (and previously from redhat) http://www.lulu.com/ - space for self publishing
OK, doesn't seem to be about anything at all quite yet - so I'm a bit distracted (or just flexing my CPA muscles)
- looks like the competitions have got too hard - I'm gonna try and swoop in a get/give some "power points"
- Quote from twitter: "is it back? is it reeeeeally back? I've missed my ELI twitterers metatwittercognitive thoughts!" - now there is a word and half (well actually 2 complete words)!!
- also looks like the twitterati don't like the keynote - he thinks he is a lot funnier than anybody else in the room seems to. Interesting twitter stuff, real time "critique" and everyone else in the room is watching him and it - you need thick, thick skin in life 2.0 - i.

eg twitter stream (read bottom up):
I'm glad this clown thinks we're smart. 1 minute ago from web
Conference speaker just joked about not getting paid enough to talk. That takes, um, something. 2 minutes ago from web
This guy is not working for me... Not sure why. 2 minutes ago from txt
I seem to have slipped into another space-time continuum. What is the topic? 2 minutes ago from web
Did I just hear the speaker complain about not getting paid enough? You're lucky to be here, pal. 3 minutes ago from web
-----------------------------------------------------
So far - there hasn't been anything on the screen other than the lulu homepage and he seems to be talking about not making enough money for something else that he has does in the past.
- you need thick, thick skin in life 2.0 - interesting to gather student feedback on satisfaction through this *gulp*, halo effects are so last century. OK the twitter is definitely of more interest, look at this (from bottom again):

I am not following this talk either. I agree that a little more structure & prep would have been appropriate. half a minute ago from web
I confess I haven't spent a long time on my Rolex connoisseurship. I feel alone. less than a minute ago from web

Let's go! less than 20 seconds ago from Snitter in reply
There's obviously something interesting about his experience, but he doesn't seem to have prepared to share it with us. less than 20 seconds ago from web
A long lulu promotion? half a minute ago from web
Please aim carefully. I'm up front and don't want to get hit. 1 minute ago from twitterrific in reply got a long tail for you right here pal. half a minute ago from web
Where are we going with this
---------------------------------------------------------------
"I was unaware that the closing keynote writers are on strike too." - classic!!

Getting ready for the last keynote

ooh ooh whilst the intro is being done a giant picture of Kay interviewing Bryan for our May event on the big screens - I hope I can find it afterwards - yay!!!

quote on twitter: " the student showcase presentations have rocked my paradigm"

ooh - there are Kay and Bryan again on the loop

Virtual Spaces as Web2.0 Learning Spaces

sarah robbins (aka intelligirl) - the session is recorded and will go on Educause connect soon, if you want to see it in full - the visuals are pretty good.

Quick classification of web2.0 - 4 elements: prosumer, remote applications, social, APIs

where do universities fit in?

who are our students?

where do they live (what space do they inhabit online)?

how do they learn outside the classroom?

Preparing new students:

Interesting concept of flexible identity across different spaces and environments

Facing a very different workplace

No Medial Hauntings - really interesting concept, new users don't have previous version hauntings they stand alone Ref: Sloane "Haunting history of J" Passions and Pedagogies in the 21st Century Hawisher and Selfe

New Learning Models - our games and our classrooms take approaches that are "learn by experiment"or "learn by social interaction" ie divided along gender lines, can new technologies enable both in the same place Sheri Graner Ray Gender Inclusive Game Design: Expanding the Market (2003)

Hypermediated (TV with multi-info)

Compare and contrast how things work (like information, chat etc) within a VLE and the social IM spaces, gaming environments that they inhabit socially. It is a very engaging premise, and the idea of how sophisticated the students (pre-14) use of technology and gaming is. But again a bit of VLE knocking - not sensing much empathy with the fear 2.0 concept. One example was Bb chat v Radius IM which mashes IM with google maps - and as a response on twitter windygap96 posts "radius vs. Bb chat...how many times have faculty told me they cannot manage the Bb chat imagine trying to get them to use radius? how do I?"

So my questions are (as always) - is this how it really is? are they in these spaces in the UK? "all their social interactions are IM, social networks, twitter" hmmm - how does this resonate with the research we have been doing recently? If this is the case in the US (if?) are we going to get this soon or is it never really going to have the reach within a UK cultural context. IMing hasn't replaced texting in the UK as predicted a couple of years ago.

On the other hand - Some great stuff about identity, rhetorical construct, feeling "different", community engagement online, encouraging specific behaviours, translating ideas, changing roles in dramatic ways

Students projects:

- exploring how the growth in open source software will reduce the cost of higher education.

- visitors blindfolded in the space to translate idea of cultural literacy

[aside from twitter George Mason have renamed their Digital Fluency Center as a Collaborative Learning Centre, gardnercampbell twitters: "Collaborative Learning Center" an easier sell to provost than "Digital Fluency Center." Interesting. Also, importance of a dedicated space."]

oops, too much twitter:

Questions about Croquet (http://www.opencroquet.org/index.php/Main_Page) her response was yes, its OK, (harder to use?) future is probably in multiverse - is that the right name?

Doing my homework- Starting with the God

Sorry folks for not getting into this earlier - combination of time, Texas trots (don't ask) 2 hours sleep a night and not bringing my own laptop with me (never again).
Anyway will try to give you a quick overview of what I've been to so far - and what an inspiring event it really is.
Start with the best and on Monday I worshiped at the feet of the God that is Bryan Alexander (GBA). Despite the aforementioned afflictions GBA tried valiantly to engage me in Web 2.0 Storytelling and soon I was under the spell. So, if you're sitting comfortably, I will begin.
We did a rapid trot through the history of storytelling from the oral to web 1 (culturally normative) to web 2.0 (culturally reflective). GBA reviewed the many platforms being used for digital stories , blogs, wikis, social slides, serial photo stories, podcasting etc and the trend for stories to start in one platform but be continued across others depending on the needs and preferences of the contributor.
Some DF issues touched on in the discussion - the need to help students develop more sophisticated visual literacies/the idea of the conflict between authority and community and wether in order to encourage participation we need to give up (initially at least) the notion of excellence.
GBA then covered the principles of Digital story telling - drawing on the Digital Storytelling Cookbook (someone else pinching our recipe idea) - but then I lost the plot completely when he started talking about the need to 'Fab your Lexia Chunks' - I didn't even know I had any lexia chunks let alone that I could 'fab' them - but then sheltered upbringing and all that.
The abiding message based on the enthusiasm and level of engagement in the activities in the session was that DS if fun, playful and a powerful learning agent - not unlike GBA.

Alamo-oohh

Last night after a tour of a shop ironically entitled "San Antonio Style" I sat and watched the sunset over the Alamo - cool, uh!