Where is it written that we can't change education? (MY LAST POST)

Where is it written that the old way is the right way? Where is it written that the traditional education is the only way to get an education? That is the thing: it isn't written anywhere!






So,where is it written that you can't change education?

With this fabolous video I close this blog. When I discovered blogs I was so enthusiastic about them that I opened one for each topic I like about education. Now, three years later I realise I cannot maintain all blogs updated at the same time, and I have learned a lot too about how to take care about my digital identity as a teacher. So I have decided to unify this blog and another one I have as well about education that was origanlly created to write in catalan. So from now onwards, I will write all my post here whatever the language of the post is.

Please keep in touch and visit my blog Reflexions per a mestres where we can keep thinking and reflecting about education.

See you there!

Attwell on ePortfolios

I have just discovered this video of Graham Attwell on ePortfolios, and obviously it is a must when learning about them:

Videos on edutech

During the last term I discovered the following videos on edutech which I am planning to use in my lessons of English for student teachers.

Education Technology Plan in USA: excellent example of trying to get teacher's opinions




Via @jvivancos


You can't be my teacher: interesting questions to make teachers think about the importance of using new technologies



Via @iferrer


We are the people we've been waiting for: the question is... does our current education system work?



Via #ulearn10

The PLE Conference (still...)

It's five months since I wrote on this blog for the last time. I think that the last time I tried to blog about the PLE Conference I was so excited that any words that came into my mind weren't enough to describe it. I had just run out of words... anything I could write was n't good enough to be able to show you how happy I was feeling after having met you all! Now, after all the time I have spent checking PLEs, listening to your podcasts, watching your videos and writing about them in my assignments and other stuff, I need to come back to this blog.

The PLE Conference in Barcelona was my first international conference and now I can guess how lucky I was to start in this new world with you. Since then, there have been new conferences, which I enjoyed so much, and I have met you again, in Bilbao (EDUTEC2010) or in Lisbon (TICEDUCA10), but this was all because you were so kind to me that I felt inspired to carry on.

But the PLE Conference is even more special to me for a very important reason: the first version of the mind map, which I submitted as a poster, was the very first thing I had written after having lost my grandma forever - she passed away eight months and three weeks ago and it's the first time I have written about her without tears runnning down my face. I have talked about her to lots of people (thanks for your patience), in lots more places, blogs and projects but I hadn't said this before so I still needed to say it. I hope that in the future I can keep on without annoying anyone else because I understand that I'm not at all special: all humans sooner or later have to live this farewell... but indeed my grandmother really was a very special person.

What do I remember now? YOU! I learnt that the PLN is one of the most important parts of a PLE. I learnt because I paid attention to your words, but I learnt it especially because I felt it. Then I learnt that talking about PLEs is not talking only about technology. PLEs are about strategy, methodology, students' own learning... The importance is not because of the tools but because of the learning process through each tool. So the answer to what we have to learn as teachers is easy: methodology. Or maybe simply attitude?. And the main aim is to avoid using new tools to keep teaching the same traditional lessons.

I now remember lots of questions that I asked myself : PLEs focus on personalizing, but could we focus PLEs on openness too? Do PLEs link both informal and formal learning? Is informal learning only possible after basic formal learning? If the learner is the owner of their own PLE, can an institution provide a PLE?


And something that I loved from the moment I heard it: eportfolios as the DNA of PLEs...


And the last thing I still need to write is: THANK YOU! And I hope to keep in touch with you... virtually or in person in Southampton.

It has been a short and brief attempt to write again but I hope I am able to write more here soon about this and lots of exciting ideas in edutech.

My poster for The PLE Conference

Today I'm presenting a poster in the poster session of The PLE Conference... and I am feeling both excited and nervous...

This is the poster: a mind map on a project being developed now...



And the short paper submitted with the poster:


Short Paper on PLEs&EPORTFOLIOS + Poster


And I have prepared a presentation to support the poster (in fact, I just wanted to practise before the session!!!)

A presentation to support the mind map

View more presentations or Upload your own.

Sorry for the pronounciation of PLEs... I didn't notice that I was using the Spanish pronounciation .... glups!

Finally, it's here: PLE_BCN

Wow! A lot of time waiting for The PLE Conference to arrive... and it's here: tomorrow we start!


It's the first time I have been to an international conference, but I wonder: are all international conferences like this one? I can guess the answer: no! I have never seen such amazing people organizing so many interesting speeches, workshops, sessions... nothing here seems to be traditional....Even main talks are not keynotes, but unkeynotes!!! Simply, awesome!
I've been online the last few months, except for some very busy days grading and planning, following The PLE Conference everywhere I was able to find and I was pleased by all the content all these great experts can be able to share. Before we start, I just would like to THANK YOU for your effort and your kindness in your attention!!!!

I'm willing to start tomorrow! I hope I can meet you all!!! And hope to listen to you very soon!!!

And, of course, if you are interested in PLEs I strongly recommend that you follow The PLE Conference in:

Twitter

Twitter list by @pgsimoes

Crowdvine

Twubs


And, I can't stop myself... here it comes my badge for the conference:

Sir Ken Robinson: bring on the learning revolution

I've been following Sir Ken Robinson's interviews and talks since I first saw him on his first speech in Ted Talks in 2006. Now, I have just discovered the second one and again I love it as much as I loved the first. So here there is a short summary of this speech. I'll pay attention to future comments on this new ideas.

Every education system in the world is being reformed at the moment. And it's not enough because it's just improving a broken model. What we need is not evolution but a revolution in education. It has to be transformed into something else.
Innovating means challenging what we take for granted, things that we think are obvious...