Tuesday, 19 March 2013

Blog Buddies

Wendy and Gary (Rockhampton tutor) have both been emphasising the need to read and comment on other students' blog posts. I understand the importance of that as it will help me to learn by reflecting on what others have written and (hopefully) my comments on other students' blogs will help them to learn. After all isn't that part of the 'hidden' curriculum in EDED20491? We need to learn to network with others using the technological tools that we are learning and evaluating.


 The dilemma is that there are 100 students in this course (according Wendy's week 4 email) so I couldn't possibly read each of their blogs and comment on them AND keep up with the course materials AND maintain some semblance of a life outside the Grad Dip in Learning & Teaching. So I have decided to select five people and ask them to be my Blog Buddy. I am going to ask five people if they would like to take the time once a week to read my blog and make comments and in turn I will read and comment on their blogs. If they agree that is wonderful. If they don't that is fine I have 95 other potential blog buddies.



I looked at most of the blogs on the EDED20491 list and these are the blogs I have chosen to follow because I think their blogs are interesting and cause me to think more about this course:

Will keep you posted.

PS a former colleague of mine now works at USQ. He runs a similar course to EDED20491 and he has visualised the linkages in his students' blogs. See: http://davidtjones.wordpress.com/2013/03/18/visualising-the-blog-network-of-edc3100-students/

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9 comments:

  1. Unknown3/20/2013 6:33 pm

    Hi Jo,

    I have no problem in becoming a Blog Buddy - great concept! It will also be good to receive feedback to ensure I'm on teh right track with my posts etc. Glad you found my interesting. Yours is great too. :-)

    Kris

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  2. Jo Luck3/21/2013 9:28 am

    Thanks Kris, I am an external student too though I have been lucky enough to get to the classes on campus. So I do get to talk to others but I also think the externals need to support each other.

    It is interesting how people set out their blogs. Your blog layout is different to others, more like an electronic book. I like that.

    Jo

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  3. Gary Holmes3/21/2013 10:03 am

    Great idea Jo
    Nice to see you taking more control of your own ICT learning as this is the way it will be in school land. Like your blog buddy idea it pays off and adds another dimension to learning across geographical distances.
    Keep up the excellent work.

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  4. Anonymous3/22/2013 2:55 pm

    G'day Jo,

    Someone clicked on the link to my blog you included in this message, hence my discovery of your new path. Good luck with it. I've found it interesting. I assume comparing what you're being told at Uni with your better half's experiences/opinions might add another layer to all this. Also interesting to see that the IT course has evolved a bit.

    Good luck with it.

    David.

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    Replies
    1. Jo Luck3/22/2013 5:20 pm

      Thanks David, I have been reading your Blog a lot lately as it has been discussing your EDC3100 class and there are many points, such as TPACK, where you are covering similar material to EDED20491. So you will find that there will be even more links to your work when I publish the next few blog entries!

      John isn't in the classroom that much these days as he has moved more into administration but I have made a connection to the eLearning Project Officer at Emmaus and she was happy to show me what Emmaus are doing and has offered her assistance in the future should I need it. Of course I cannot do my prac teaching there.

      At the moment I am studying part-time and working full-time. It is not easy to keep up with the study. Not sure how I am going to cope after Easter when I have to go prac teaching 2 days a week too.

      Thanks for your support.

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  5. Unknown3/22/2013 2:58 pm

    Hi Jo, Love the idea. Just hope that I can catch up on my blogging so that you have something to read :) I have enjoyed reading through yours in the mean time tho... Any progress on finding an easy way to 'like" our buddies?? I've just had a clean out of my 'favorites' tab and have added you in there, but there must be a better way.
    See you in class Monday and hopefully i'll get through my reading and get my posts up over the weekend.
    Gail

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    Replies
    1. Jo Luck3/22/2013 5:22 pm

      Gail, great to have you on board. I have added a gadget on the right-hand side to allow you to get notifications by email. If you like I can show you next week how to add that gadget to your own blog.

      See you Monday. I look forward to reading your blog.

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  6. luke.fallon4/17/2013 9:17 pm

    Hi Jo, although delayed I love the idea of a blog buddy. Some days i spend so much time writing my posts and i really wonder why if no one is going to read them. Ill make sure to read yours and comment when i can!

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    Replies
    1. Jo Luck4/18/2013 7:02 pm

      Thanks Luke. I have looked at your blog twice during the term and it has always made me think about the tool in a different way.

      I agree that it is better to write knowing there is an audience reading it and hopefully benefiting from what you wrote.

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