I have been a little slack lately... but I'm back. Watch this space Mark
Having spent the last 12 months establshing an identity for Learndog, we are this week finalising its constitution and are planning and inaugural members meeting on 14 February 2006.
One of our key planks is that we will offer our recognition services for free but we question what options might appeal as a sustainable revenue source. Sponsorship? Philanthropy? Premium Memberships? Parental Memberships? We wish to largely avoid Government funding due to the strings that are attached. Education and Government everywhere has a localised and sectarian of taint like a political football. I think this is generally unhelpful, in terms of the learning and recognitionneeds of young adults. What do you think?
Mike Seyfang has done a remarkable job working on our ideas and we now have a solid model and a global reputation for innovative views on "recognition".
Also thanks to legendary cartoonist and art director Deane Taylor (Hanna Barberra and Disney's Nightmare before Christmas) who has drawn the Dog and once his current film is finished will join the fray, Jon Mason until recently the Australian Director of IMS and recognition standards guru, PODCAST king, Cameron Reilly and our patron Rory O'Neill and the dozens of others who are helping breath life to the dog as we seek to find new ways for young adults to gain recognition for their emerging skills.
Keep them cards and letters coming, Mark Keough, Learndog Founder
In mid December I was listening to a debate lead by Andrew Bolt (former Editor of the Melbourne Herald Sun) and Adelaide ABC Evening Radio's Peter Goers. Andrew was essentially proposing that the roots of the riots in Cronulla were being given too much National credence and that the issues were largely local and not attribution should be made to the federal Government and the Prime Minister. I might remind you Andrew that it was a largely local issue ( a baby overboard) that was highlighted by the media d the used by the Prime Minister to help win a certain election. The problem really is that we have a interesting Parliamentary system that basically promotes the concept of rioting on a daily basis both federally and in the States.
We are as we are lead Andrew ...don't you think? At least in our unique duality, dualist or duelist or duplicitous institutions of bi-party politics (that is 6 labor states and one Liberal conservative federation.) I think we are mistaking duplicity and complicity for stability While New Zealand and Canada have their problems...they at least admit too them mostly trhough robust community debate. Bring on MNP and two levels of Government for Australia....ASAP.
What will be the label for 2006. Elearning 2.0, Web 2.0, Blended Learning, Mlearning or our very own LRM!. I haven't heard Podlearning coined yet...so here it is! One lesson I learned from my visit to Mlearn 2005 in Capetown was that none of these labels mean anything like their attributed status. Mlearning is still struggling for a definition, even a bad one. Indeed you can't build a Corporate or even Personal Learning Strategy on any of these ideas.
The sad conference corridor confessions is that most of the projects from even the innovative youngsters were by admission just that small scale marginalised projects with no sustainable future.
Indeed most of the learning conferences I visited and read last year added little to Learning Innovation. They are mostly publishing services for post 50 academics caught in the publish or perish trap. I suggested to one audience that bring there children next year (it got a laugh!) and many nods of acclamation. Not sure they'd come but it would do something.
Everytime I hear the term Blended Learning I have a nightmare about a frog in a blender...
Sometime during December I saw an interesting (and expensive) advertisement for the University for South Australia, a fine post modern university that tries very hard in an antiquated colonial system of government to serve its students (me included!). That ad promised Flexible arrangements for students and then proceeded to say "don't miss the December 9 deadline". Indeed South Australia as a state embedded some "dickens" in the last year or two by enshrining TAFE (Technical and Further Education or Polytech or Community College for global readers) students to that evil beast SATAC's (South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre) annual cycle. It something like a return to the Rhythm Method or Ink Wells.
One significant initiative South Australia's Government (and other Governments around the world) could do to reduce youth depression is adopt a start anytime study anywhere enrolment for Vocational Training. It's not that hard. Just get the lecturers distribute their 5 year old (on average) notes and Powerpoint presentations on rolling cycles to new students...really...it would make a huge difference.
