By background I’m a physics teacher, on loan to some areas of learning that I’m currently interested in:
- Learning communities, especially distributed and online communities.
- Educational design. (I’m currently interviewing anyone who has time for a small project)
- Teaching strategies. (My focus has moved OFF learning strategies for a while. The question is: what can teachers DO to aid learning?)
This all started when I went through a rough patch during the early 1990′s when teaching at Shirley Boys High in Christchurch. I ended up taking a paper in the then new Masters in Science Education at the University of Canterbury. Prof Phil Butler and John Longbottom (later to be Dr) introduced us to a few papers in science education research. One of the little pieces I wrote was “Why didn’t anyone tell me about Vygotsky?” I videoed myself teaching, interviewed my students, and my attitude to the teaching and learning process was revolutionised.
The irony: I left full time classroom teaching soon after, and have been involved in teacher professional development in various ways since then.
In 2000 (after the demise of the wonderful Riccarton Project) I fell into a role at the then Christchurch College of Education.
In 2001, while trying to understand online learning, I encountered the concept “Community of Practice”. In 2004 I became a member of CPsquare, the community of practice about communities of practice.
In 2007, after a wash-tumble-spin dry cycle the University and the College of Education merged, with me moving to the university Centre for teaching and learning.
Just a few current fragments of my life . .
- This blog. An itinerant process only, coming and going in fits and starts along with Twitter and Facebook. (Blog, Twitter, Facebook: pick 2)
- Moodle. A huge part of things at the moment. Shifting 700 academics and 17,000 students (depending on how you count) from Blackboard and StudentNet to Moodle.
- Akowiki. Yes I know, the stuff should be on WikiEducator. Coming. This is kind of a dumping ground for things I need to follow up on. I think the only use is when I send a person a URL.
- Bangladesh, Korea and China: short term teacher professional development programmes here at UoC. I have presented on Teacher Reflective practice, Interactive teaching Strategies, Teacher professional development concepts and mentoring.
Past things:
- iCommunities.org – an online community space based on Interact. I still have the domain name, but the idea has passed.
- Interact – an online community support platform. Free and Open Source. Soon support will cease for this.
Work things
We are busy, and sometimes a little unfocused and distracted by the butterflies. Most of these things are a work in progress.
The inevitable disclaimer:
This blog is me talking. Helps clear my head. It does not represent official policy at my place of employment, although sometimes by chance it may coincide. I generally like work at the UoC, even if at times I think things cojuld be different.
beginning to feel like a stalker!
this certificate in e-learning and support its the one I wanted to do this year – but was cancelled. Will it run next year Derek? and is there a point to me doing the FOC08 and this one?
Deb
I do not know what is the fate of this.
I’d have liked to open it up like Leigh has done, but with the merger – impossible.
I would have liked some other funding models but again – impossible.
I think you shoujld be able to get cross credit from FOC08. But be in quick – phone Julie and enquire. Or call me and have a chat.