Only some of us can be digital citizens

“I have children in my class whose parents do not want them to appear online. So how can I do collaborative work with those children? They have to do something else and that’s not fair at all…” It is quite normal, even ideal, to surface crunchy questions during sessions with schools. One of the workshops […]

Learning online | The kids are all right…

I recently presented a series of keynotes, developed with Dr John Fenaughty, on the topic of digital citizenship and how fear-based messages, curriculum add-ons and reliance of filters are not as likely to foster digital citizens as much as embedding it in authentic curriculum-based learning. I went phishing fishing on YouTube for positive messages and […]

“I have nothing to blog about…” | My response

I have heard this said, in various ways and tones, after many sessions this year. When I have discussed sharing and collaborating online around teaching inquiries, I hear comments such as the one in the title – or variants of it, such as: “I have nothing worth sharing.” “There are others who know far more […]

Can I borrow your online conversation? | Ethics online

Is it ok to walk into someone’s garden and take a photo? How about take a plant? What about walking up to their front door, standing in their porch and listen to the conversation through the keyhole? Would it be ok if you were listening to a conversation standing on the pavement? Where does the […]

If you think it’s too difficult, you’re right.

This is cross-posted from a guest piece I recently wrote for CORE Education: Feel the fear – and do it anyway If Hilary had concentrated only on glacial ravines, would he have ‘knocked the bastard off’? Would Armstrong have taken his great leap if he had worried his oxygen failing? And can schools embrace the […]

5 ways to make the most of online meetings (for newbies)

I took part in a professional learning session with CORE this morning via Elluminate. Great fun and very interesting (lots of clever heads in the virtual room) – but it highlighted a few thoughts for me that might be worth sharing, if you are to make the most of online meet-ups: 1. Get there early: […]

What is it like to learn online?

Starved of human contact. Isolated. Lonely. I’ve heard people say that distance learning online – alone, in their pyjamas, talking aloud to their cat – made them feel cut off from their peers and not really part of the class. Having just finished two online papers, I thought I’d try and re-capture the experience, which […]

Review of Reading Eggs: beware the addiction!

It was when my 3 year old earned her first ‘critter’ for her animal collection – Marshmallow Mouse for the learning about the letter ‘M’ – and begged for more time on the computer that I began to see why this tool has been so successful. Reading Eggs is a (subscription-only, although there is a […]

Tips for Skyping with the kids: they’re not performing monkeys

This morning, I was part of a Skype session between grandparents in the UK and two children under six in New Zealand. This was not the first time we had undertaken this type of conversation – but each time it often takes more organising than a school play. We want everyone to be able to […]

Get the party started on your community page

Have you got the sound of tumbleweed blowing across your online community? Too many lurkers and too few livewires? In short, just because you’ve built that online community space doesn’t mean they will come (even if it looks beautiful). Why won’t they talk to me? It’s a real challenge when people feel exposed online. People […]