trying out animoto

An experimental video:


and another sample here

Surprisingly enough only 6 of the 30 or so photos that I selected were actually displayed in these short videos. Still it gives some idea of the sessions that were held. In the free version only 30 second videos can be made. Full-length videos are available if you are willing to pay for them, either for one of for a year.
Interestingly, the music library covers real music from real artists & bands.
PS For insiders, I chose the battle song ;-))

Reflecting , reflecting , reflecting ...

It's been a while since I last wrote here. Why? Well probably because there is only so much material to write about. As I've been writing short items of reflection in another space, it seems odd to do the same thing again here.

A little about that other space I'm writing in. It's in fact the safe and private workspace we're filling up with exchanges among the project members of the Homo Zappiens professionalization track. We reflect on things that we come across, on things that make us stop and think, but we also support each other with tips & suggestions and much more. Being part of such a learning community is a great bonus. It's ideal for letting off steam and reporting to like-minded people what concerns one in trying to get innovative ideas in education introduced and implemented. Just getting things off your chest can help enormously in reducing the frustration that innovators often come across. On the other hand, every so often in one's daily digest of feeds one comes across that little gem that one simply has to share with others. Again the first spot that comes to my mind is then the workspace and the people participating in the H Z project who are open to that. They value this, as is often demonstrated by stimulating reactions and / or further queries. This in fact in stark contrast to the writing of a separate blog like this, which is in fact so anonymous that one wonders why one writes here at all.

Ok ok, I do sense that people will be responding to this and saying it's good to reflect wherever you like as the act of reflecting is valuable in itself. Very true ! But again, there's only so much material to reflect on. And then I must say I concur with the many students that bring up the issue of being fed up with reflections and reflections on work done. Reflecting on things should always be timely and worthwhile to the one reflecting, instead of performing this little game for the sake of others, which is a recurring complaint I keep hearing from our students.

Now having a number of channels available to me for reflection, I have to choose wisely I feel what to bring / take where. Just so as not to turn reflection into a trick like many students simply do to satisfy their teachers and gain their credits.
Mission accomplished now ;-))

return on investment

During (!) my volleyball training session last week the chit-chat somehow landed on web 2.0 tools. A team member and I sometimes just quickly exchange things while waiting our turns for one thing or another. (Rest assured, we are no top team ....)
This team member teaches in secondary education and conversations between us regularly turn to discussing educational issues. Just another form of blowing off steam in different surroundings. She had told me a few months ago she had fond memories of the special in-service training course she took in Turkey where she was involved in trying out all sorts of web 2.0 tools. Lots of time for experimenting, sharing ideas, exchanging successful formats etc. , all in a pleasant and stimulating environment (and a warm climate to top it all !). She came home full of new ideas to try out in her classes. Sadly, she now realised months later, she wasn't putting anything to good use, bound up as she was in the daily routine of teaching her classes and checking tests.
It was then that I realised how fortunate I really am, having been given the time to actually try things out at leisure, to discuss your progress and your setbacks with experts and enthusiasts, to take time to consider steps in implementing the new tools. Even though each of our colleagues in the Homo Zappiens community chooses his/her own path, we know we can always fall back on each other and find comfort in sharing things via the Workplace that was set up for us by the project leaders.
The fact that we can do this over an extended period adds to this, it makes it an even more memorable and more importantly, a lasting experience.
How many times haven't we heard people say that they came back inspired and stimulated by a special seminar or course, to fall back into their daily routines as soon as they took up their usual tasks and responsibilities.
Hooray for the people who had the courage to decide on this Homo Zappiens professionalisation track and to offer this to interested lecturers ! I would never have started a blog like this under different circumstances.