Social evolution - past, present, and future

Originally published to eBridge on Thursday 21 June 2012

As a result of taking part in Harold Jarche's PKM course and connecting with him on Google+, I came across this fascinating video by David Ronfeldt (2012). He describes how our complex society can be regarded as being composed of four distinct forms of organisation: Tribes, Institutions, Markets and Networks (T-I-M-N). Each form brings benefits for survival and cultural development, but can lead to its own problems.

It got me thinking about the current problems in the education sector, and how recent suspensions of examiners (Orr, 2011) seem to imply that market pressures are leading some education providers to indulge in unfair and illegal practices. Whilst I can comfortably (I hope!) say that no faults are to be found within my organisation, it's an ongoing concern. As a matter of fact my current project is to produce anti-bribery e-learning to complement our policies.

Earlier today I noticed an article on MSN news (link here - the story is evolving as I write this!) which initially disclosed details about a leaked document, in which Michael Gove was apparently laying out plans to axe GCSEs, re-institute something similar to the old O-levels, and bring all secondary education under a single exam board. Now apart from my concern for my own (and my colleagues') future employment, it struck me as being very much counter to the progression that Ronfeldt describes. Here we have problems caused by market being fixed by institutions? I'm glad to see that the Liberal Democrats have reacted angrily to this document, hopefully shooting it down in flames before it can take hold!

So what next? I came across this concept by participating in a network, so perhaps the answers are out there waiting....

References:

• Orr, J. (2011).  Exam boards: examiners suspended in 'corrupt practices' row.  The Telegraph Online  [online] 8 December.  Available at: <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/secondaryeducation/8943300/Exam-boards-examiners-suspended-in-corrupt-practices-row.html> [Accessed 21 June 2012]
• Ronfeldt, D. (2012).  TIMN in 20 minutes: social evolution — past, present, and future.  [video online]  Available at: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBulH9_04vc&feature=player_embedded> [Accessed 21 June 2012

A year of blogging

Originally published to eBridge on Monday 30 April 2012

On the subject of blogs, I've realised that my personal blog will be one year old tomorrow! Keeping a blog that's publically visible is an interesting experience, especially when it starts to attract attention, such as featuring on Jane Hart's top 100 articles of 2011, and getting mentioned on the back of conferences such as the Learning & Skills Group and Forward Thinking. I've been a little lax in making entries of late, partly from a sense of 'where do I go from here?' I think getting such a level of exposure has made me too self-conscious of what I write and put a mental block in place, so I've decided to start writing a bit about my archery teaching to make it fun for myself again.

More thoughts on the value of blogging

Originally published to eBridge on Monday 23 April 2012

Watching through a video on the use of blogs for Hannah & Mohammed's workshop has made me realise I've been Away From Keyboard (AFK) here for far too long! It's interesting to highlight how blogs can feed several of the key factors in learning (Race, 2010). Not only does it give reflective students a chance to capture their thoughts, but laying them open to comment gives us the benefit of feedback. Since we all love a pat on the back (assuming of course our peers are being positive!) that in turn increases the want to learn factor. By explaining our thoughts to others, we are in a sense making our first attempts to teach what we have learned. So, can they be an effective tool for assessment? Of course!  I think the key is to have clear goals of what we are learning, and how we will apply it in the real world ... got some thoughts popping into my head already so this task is definitely working - consider that a pat on the back for Hannah & Mohammed!

References:

• Race, P. 2010, Making Learning Happen: A Guide for Post-Compulsory Education. 2^nd ed. Sage.
• Using Blogs for peer feedback and discussion - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4HLGRzhWBs