For now, its all about the bus

During the past two weeks, I have been playing with the idea of difference.  I'm pondering the differences and similarities of the brick and mortar student versus the on line student.  Ive been an active participant in the brick and mortar model for around 13 years now, and slowly but surely (or actually very quickly in a short space of time), I have met and discovered the on line space with my full and part time students.

Last night on our PBL4 group meeting, we where discussing copyright and new adventurous avenues of off/on line activity and still I was wondering about the similarities...
Are we all still educators?
Is our students, still learners? With a few generational tweaks
Is academic content, still content?

Ive concluded (for now) that the medium/vehicle that is used is different; and there for the crucial need for me as guide//tutor/educator to understand this mode of transport before I can load my students on my bus.  This bus holds wondrous new opportunities to still teach my students, to still engage my students so they can learn, to still infuse them with my subject magic.
For now, its all about the bus🚌

Power in Numbers

How amazing has technology changed? I can vividly recall my large auditorium style class at University, filled with 60-odd communication students. 

Here, in my home office last night, I meet with a similar group size (from ALL over the WORLD), where we discuss the new frontiers of education.
The size of the setup blew my mind away.  
I must admint, I feel honoured to be part of this group!

Both the group size and technological aspect of the on line group webinar was an amazing experience.  I recognise its probably simple in its application, but for myself, that's used to face to face communication, this new way is super exciting.

Then comes all the new jargon, residents, natives, bubbles, filters, open source contribution, and levels of creative commons.  How amazing is the potential collaborative space of Wikipedia, a platform that up until yesterday I didn't really care for.

The power in numbers statement, does take on a new angle for me.. and exciting angle!

Heavy Arms to the Starting Blocks

Its Saturday 18 Feb 2017 in Pretoria South Africa, 

and we are feeling the breezy winds coming in 

from Mozambiques' cyclone Dineo?  

Interesting name, as I have a friend called Dineo 

and she doesnt resemble any trades of a cyclone.  

As with most situations, things and people in my life, 

I have an odd sense of humour who I myself sometimes cant explain.

Fittingly, I decided to start my ONL and PBL blog 

with the title Heavy Arms, as new projects 

typically have the same start off effect on me.. 

heavy arms, heavy clouded mind 

and this all due to me not coping well with the unknown.  

I almost revert to complete procrastination 

and then rely on an impulse or initiator 

to bump me out of the high flying plane and into a decent to mother earth 

(with a parachute off course) to get my heavy arms going again. 

Exploring the ONL space on the Google+ community site 

initially felt overwhelming and confusing, 

but as I started clicking around, my arms felt lighter 

and I could start navigating my way around the site. 

 I must credit my PBL group, with being the initiator to me finding my lighter arms again, as they offered me the opportunity to introduce our group to the larger ONL community, and I decided to use the Moovly platform (never used before) so I can decent rapidly, rely on this challenge and start my online journey with a bang.  (bang is probably not the most academic word I could think of, but its weekend here :) 

Im excited to meet people across the globe, to come to grips with online mediation and to push my own boundaries.