I’ve heard enough about MOOCs.
I’ve also heard enough from people defining what MOOCs are, what MOOCs aren’t, and what MOOCs might be.
I think y’all have made your points. Some very good points at that. Can we please move on?
For more information (and some good fun), visit @cogdog’s moocshaker.
First, I didn’t know what I was watching.
Then, I felt embarrassed for the people who put this together.
By the end, I was singing along…
Some inspiration from from Michael Wesch:
Wait for the punchline at the end.
Excellent summary from @davecormier. We’ll need to know about this, for later discussion:
You can choose what you do, how you participate and only you can tell in the end if you’ve been successful. Just like real life.”
cc: flickr.com/photos/cat1205123
It’s high time I started another degree. I’ve been shopping around for a couple of years now, and (mostly), I have it down to a couple institutions:
Both very attractive programs, and I’m sure I’d learn a lot.
As I’ve been shopping, I’ve been reading Don Tapscott’s latest epic, Macrowikinomics. It’s a great book. I found myself thinking “Hey, I’m not crazy! Other people think like this too!” (Or, maybe more to the point, at least I’m not alone.) In Chapter 8, Rethinking the University: Collaborative Learning, Tapscott proposes that we need to embrace open and collaborative learning in a “Global Network for Higher Learning”. He questions,
Why is the university the unit of measurement when it comes to branding a degree? In fact, in a networked world, why should a student have to assign his or her “enrollment” to a given institution, akin to declaring loyalty to some feudal fifedom?
There’s been some great scholarship and initiatives on the concept of “open courses” of late. Shouts out to Alec Couros, Stephen Downes, Dave Cormier, Bryan Alexander, George Siemens, David Wiley, Jim Groom and others for being trail-blazers on this.
What I’m after though is an open degree.
From what I’ve researched, a number of institutions will allow a small number of courses to come from outside the program and still be counted towards the degree (usually no more than two, although I’ve seen at least one allowing four…maybe under special circumstances, and with major administrative hassles). So, here’s my question, and my pitch: I’ll concede that I have to have a home institution, but what I’d like to do is take “one half less one” credits from other institutions, so that >50% of my credits come from my “home”.
Now, I may be missing something. There may be a program out there that allows this flexibility. If there is please let me know. If you work at one of these magical, enlightened institutions I will sign up! I am an excellent student. Believe me. And, if you want to help me with my quest, in any way, shape or form…
wordcloud:
initial concept map:
slideshare:
(not exactly sure why “Platform” was cut off of the first slide in the conversion)
supporting material: tinyurl.com/springIT2010
DemoCampGuelph is for anyone in and around Guelph interested in software, the web and technology!
Startup junkies, wage slaves, consultants, students, indie professionals, engineers, designers, money and marketing guys.
If you want to see and talk about some interesting things, and get to know other people in the Guelph tech community, come on out! You don’t have to demo to attend.
Thanks to the sponsors (for the food), the presenters (for the demos) and the organizers (for letting me in).
Here’s the slidedeck from the opening talk from @missrogue:
I think the real leaders in my life, the people who have influenced me the most, share a common thread; they excel in creating the conditions in which good things can happen. Think of yourself as a platform. A utility or an environment that enables sharing, builds relationships and is extensible, allowing others to easily create other platforms on your building blocks. Be open source, sharing codes and secrets about what you do and why you do it. Join communities. Build communities.
Talk. Share. Learn. Create. Publish. Architect. Design.
A lot of what I do professionally is to create the conditions for education to happen. I work with a stellar team to configure tools to meet the needs of instructors and learners. We promote and support the effective use of these tools to better education. I’m passionate about it.
I’d love to know you’re passionate about. Let’s go for coffee sometime?
Do you know about 