Connected…or at least, connecting!

The department supports its employees’ participation in social media online applications such as social networking sites, wikis, blogs, microblogs, video and audio sharing sites and message boards that allow people to easily publish, share and discuss content. The above quote is the opening statement in the new Social Media Policy released by my employer, the NSW Department of... Read More

Best Australian Blogs 2011

The Sydney Writers’ Centre blogging competition involves an eclectic range of blogs, many of them new to me. These competitions are always a good way of finding new Australian bloggers in order to share the best of what is out there with a larger audience. It is very cool that 570 bloggers are being celebrated! There are four categories that will judged – business,... Read More

Time to Vote: 2010 The Edublog Nominations

It is time to vote in the annual Edublog Awards. Thanks to the Edublogs team who have worked hard to compile so many nominations. It really is a great way to find new blogs and bloggers. I feel honoured to be nominated in the Best School Administrator Blog category. You can vote in that category here. The Edublog Award Categories…. Best individual blog Best individual tweeter Best... Read More

Golden Ages and the Problem of Perception

I believe we are in a Golden Age of civilisation. Not everyone has this way of seeing. I hear many commentators, educators and parents express grave concerns about the impact of technology, the internet, mobile devices and computers on young people and education in society generally. To me, it seems pathological, reminiscent of the comic book scare in the 1950s. @teachpaperless... Read More

10 People I follow on twitter and why

Reading a post by Larry Ferlazzo led me to think of 10 tweeps I enjoy and get good value from each day. I notice that all have a fantastic blog/site which is essential IMHO. In alphabetical order: @ABCMarkScott – The ABC has positioned itself well online over that last decade or so, especially in regards to social media. Mark’s leadership in effectively using twitter... Read More

Catalysts – making it happen!

The NSW Deputy Principals’ conference continues today. DPs have signed up to our conference ning and many more are using Yammer. Change is in the air. My presentation, ‘Communicating Online’ is ’a prezi’. Communicating Online on Prezi   I had my PLN say hello via yammer and twitter during the workshop, there were some pearls of wisdom. The request... Read More

Why is it so?

Thanks to Buffy Hamilton* After my post, Twitter Literati for English Teachers, some discussion arose about the reasons why teacher-librarians are so engaged with twitter, social media and digital technologies generally. Colleagues on Yammer had some good ideas: Darcy, in schools TLs are one of a kind. We have therefore needed to look beyond our schools for support and guidance.... Read More

10 IDEAS: blogED Prezi

This is a draft of my presentation, to be delivered next week at the Office of Schools conference, Engaging learners through innovative practice, about blogEd, the NSW DET blogging platform. Actually, the presentation is more about using blogs at school and in class, rather than anything specific about using this great tool for students and teachers. If you are keen to see more... Read More

Digital Tribes and the Social Web

Steve Wheeler, whose blog I always read, has kindly shared his recent conference presentation via slideshare.  Read More

PLE Reflection (after a presentation for our Year 11 conference)

My brief, to present at a Year 11 conference about online tools, has accentuated, in my mind, how far away we are from providing the Personal Learning Environment (PLE) at school students need in a networked society. Your input, via comments at a previous blog post, twitter and yammer proved invaluable but also challenging, when one considers the realities for kids in our schools.... Read More