Sunday, 6 July 2008
Saturday, 5 July 2008
Wednesday, 2 July 2008
The Quad - LSE
The Quad
Originally uploaded by nogbad the bad
Having visited Manchester it's hard to think of a bigger contrast. Manchester takes on nearly twice as many undergraduates each year than the LSE has across all UG courses at the moment - they've got around 4,000 with a further 5,000 graduate students.
For those who don't know where it is the LSE is in Holborn, Central London. It rubs shoulders with the Royal Courts of Justice and the BBC and is a stone's throw from Theatreland - one of the halls of residence is on the corner of Drury Lane and High Holborn. The photo shows "The Quad" which is an indoor area used as a concert venue and nightclub but I've stayed in larger bedrooms - that really sums up the LSE (phsyically) in that it's tiny. But it certainly punches well above its weight when it comes to reputation and it was claimed that the average starting salary for an LSE graduate is £26k - I don't suppose they are all working in McDonalds!.
For those who don't know where it is the LSE is in Holborn, Central London. It rubs shoulders with the Royal Courts of Justice and the BBC and is a stone's throw from Theatreland - one of the halls of residence is on the corner of Drury Lane and High Holborn. The photo shows "The Quad" which is an indoor area used as a concert venue and nightclub but I've stayed in larger bedrooms - that really sums up the LSE (phsyically) in that it's tiny. But it certainly punches well above its weight when it comes to reputation and it was claimed that the average starting salary for an LSE graduate is £26k - I don't suppose they are all working in McDonalds!.
Monday, 30 June 2008
Social networking
This is my first ever video - not sure about the quality but I've learnt a lot by doing it
Barton
No real surprise I suppose -I'm glad he's held his hands up though. Sadly this young man has been made wealthy by football but remains a thug.
PM lied
Interesting post by Ray Corrigan (top clever blokey on web law and stuff) about the Prime Minister's assertions regarding the value of the national DNA database - the one which we'll all be on if the government has their way. ray has picked up on a report from GeneWatch UK (some of you think I make this stuff up!) which refutes those claims and states that Gordon was telling fibs. Check out Ray's post, it has links to the source. Ask yourself whether allowing any government to store your children's DNA is a good thing.
Saturday, 28 June 2008
Friday, 27 June 2008
Thursday, 26 June 2008
Wednesday, 25 June 2008
Monday, 23 June 2008
Learning behind bars
Nouse.co.uk » Learning behind barsGreat piece in the University of York student newspaper - it's about offender learning and gives a great insight into how offender learning works (albeit in just one prison - as the piece points out, all prisons are different). Worth reading!
Historical Football Kits!
Manchester City - Historical Football Kits
I love this - not just because it's about Manchester City but because it demonstrates, yet again, the lengths that some folk will go to when researching stuff that probably doesn't mean much in the whole scheme of things. Have a look - it's wonderful that someone has done this and even tracked down the kit worn in 1884, the cross reflects the origins of the team as a church club.BBC NEWS | UK | Councils warned over spying laws
BBC NEWS | UK | Councils warned over spying laws
I suppose it's time that the government started pulling back those local authorities hell bent on using technologies to penalise people who put too much rubbish in their wheely-bins but this doesn't deal with the root problem - RIPA.
The Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (2000) gives "government" powers to intercept electronic communications and to insist that ISPs hand over records of communications and copies.
The long title of the act is:An Act to make provision for and about the interception of communications, the acquisition and disclosure of data relating to communications, the carrying out of surveillance, the use of covert human intelligence sources and the acquisition of the means by which electronic data protected by encryption or passwords may be decrypted or accessed; to provide for the establishment of a tribunal with jurisdiction in relation to those matters, to entries on and interferences with property or with wireless telegraphy and to the carrying out of their functions by the Security Service, the Secret Intelligence Service and the Government Communications Headquarters; and for connected purposes.
Of course an issue here is who might be regarded to be "government" - and that's what has led to Poole Borough Council using RIPA to snoop on parents to determine whether they really lived in the catchment area of a particular school or a number of councils using RIPA to investigate dog fouling.
While RIPA is in place we are all at risk of a major erosion of our civil liberties on the most spurious grounds. This law is as invideous as 42 days without trial. If you've not heard of RIPA I suggest that you check out exactly what it means and, more importantly, who it allows to have access to your life.
Sunday, 22 June 2008
Uni of Manchester
Just back from visiting Manchester for the university Open Day. It's one of Jemma's "Possibles". We went up on Friday and had a great evening with Rob Spence - we sipped a couple of glasses of rather good ale in a city centre hostelry (Jemma stuck with diet coke).
Saturday was a long day which wasn't improved by the rain but interesting nonetheless. Given some of the work I'm involved in it was interesting to see how another university "sold" itself and despite being a "selecting" rather than a "recruiting" university Manchester still have to make sure that they are attracting AAA to ABB students; they have >7k places to fill each year.
They also aspire to be in the top five research universities within the next seven years so they are actively pursuing Nobel Laureates to boost their RAE results (at no stage did anyone sidle up and ask me if I'd work for them!)
All up it was a fascinating experience and probably more so because I've never been onto the main campus despite spending the first 22 years of my life living a couple of miles away.
Saturday was a long day which wasn't improved by the rain but interesting nonetheless. Given some of the work I'm involved in it was interesting to see how another university "sold" itself and despite being a "selecting" rather than a "recruiting" university Manchester still have to make sure that they are attracting AAA to ABB students; they have >7k places to fill each year.
They also aspire to be in the top five research universities within the next seven years so they are actively pursuing Nobel Laureates to boost their RAE results (at no stage did anyone sidle up and ask me if I'd work for them!)
All up it was a fascinating experience and probably more so because I've never been onto the main campus despite spending the first 22 years of my life living a couple of miles away.
Thursday, 19 June 2008
Nog's Blog - I blog therefore I am: Censorship
Nog's Blog - I blog therefore I am: Censorship
I thought I'd update this story as it's grown like Topsy while I've been away at the SL Conference. The actual comments which caused the fuss are available on Skitch and, in my view at least, certainly don't strike me to be so dangerous to the vendor that they should be contacting employers and issuing threats. Of course this isn't just on a couple of blogs but has been picked up in a good few places and Fizzics is another who has blogged about TALMOS. Also of interest is a Summize search showing tweets featuring TALMOS.
Tuesday, 17 June 2008
Poetic
Click for full size. It's beautifully poetic but could become Twitter's death knell - they are spending too long with this type of holding message where their service should be :-(Plurkation
If you've not had a look at Plurk yet follow this link to get involved. Best described as Twitter with a better UI but it also has some interesting features including threaded discussions and a timeline.
Firefox down
So today sees the release of Firefox 3.0. Mozilla are hoping to set a new world record for the number of downloads but I fear this might struggle - as the screenshot shows the download site was down 14 minutes after the release went live, don't know if that's because of the demand or it collapsed before the off but either way it don't bode well.
D'oh!
Poor old Hazel Blears only wanted to do some work away from the office so she downloaded some sensitive government data to her laptop. She then took said laptop to her constituency office. She left it in the office overnight. Her constituency office isn't in a leafy suburban area - it's in The Crescent, Salford.
So let's walk this through:
So let's walk this through:
- Downloads stuff, probably against the rules on handling sensitive data
- Takes the data outside her parliamentary office
- Leaves laptop unattended
- Overnight
- In Salford
Censorship
Doug Belshaw has an interesting post about VLEs on his blog. Some jolly useful stuff except that one vendor took exception to his posting. Rather than commenting on the blog they contacted his employer!
* Update * - AJ Cann has blogged about this - it was Alan's tweet that directed me to the piece in the first place
* Update II - Jo Badge has picked it up too
* Update III - Careful who you pick on
***I had criticized TALMOS in this section, but they contacted my school to ask me remove my ‘potentially commercially damaging’ comments. It’s a shame to be effectively silenced through legal threats when all I did was compare their offering unfavourably against another…***Not good, not good at all. Strikes me that the TALMOS vendors, Core Projects and Technologies (UK) Limited, simply don't get it.
* Update * - AJ Cann has blogged about this - it was Alan's tweet that directed me to the piece in the first place
* Update II - Jo Badge has picked it up too
* Update III - Careful who you pick on
Found at http://tinyurl.com/6orbw8
Check out the source as it's a discussion about whether or not Richard Dawkins uses Twitter
Monday, 16 June 2008
Thursday, 12 June 2008
Sprout
I've done this with Sprout Builder; not because I'm narcissistic enough to think my birthday is important but because I couldn't think of a date to countdown to. Looks like an interesting tool.
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
Sunday, 8 June 2008
Offender learning
Great post by Niall Sclater which covers the meeting I was at last Wednesday. It points up the diverse range of approaches to offender learning across Europe and the way in which technology is being made available to prisoners.
Saturday, 7 June 2008
What we've been doing
The live blogging photos were to illustrate one of the technologies I was talking about during my presentation about "Social Networking" and the immediacy available in the digital age. The format of the day was great and we had some quality keynote speakers.
First up was Seb Schmoller from ALT. He brought an XO laptop and that was the first time I'd physically held one so that was useful and his presentation set the scene for what we were doing - eLearning technologies in the wild and also in the OU.
The poster sessions were hard work - the attendees were split into 11 groups, one per workshop, and moved round the posters while the workshop facilitators explained what the workshop was about. So we stood by the poster and burbled on to 11 different groups.
Then, after a lovely lunch and chance to catch up with friends, Denise Kirkpatrick - PVC Learning and Teaching at the OU gave a presentation about the OU's VLE and eLearning projects (including SociaLearn).
Then the workshops. I did my stuff and then we looked at some social networking sites and we looked at how we might use some of these tools in learning and teaching. I prepared a Seesmic video before I left for the conference and I've just done another to "top and tail" the day.
Cup of tea and a chat and then home.
I hope that explains the photos I've been posting :-) All the photos are now on Flickr.
First up was Seb Schmoller from ALT. He brought an XO laptop and that was the first time I'd physically held one so that was useful and his presentation set the scene for what we were doing - eLearning technologies in the wild and also in the OU.
The poster sessions were hard work - the attendees were split into 11 groups, one per workshop, and moved round the posters while the workshop facilitators explained what the workshop was about. So we stood by the poster and burbled on to 11 different groups.
Then, after a lovely lunch and chance to catch up with friends, Denise Kirkpatrick - PVC Learning and Teaching at the OU gave a presentation about the OU's VLE and eLearning projects (including SociaLearn).
Then the workshops. I did my stuff and then we looked at some social networking sites and we looked at how we might use some of these tools in learning and teaching. I prepared a Seesmic video before I left for the conference and I've just done another to "top and tail" the day.
Cup of tea and a chat and then home.
I hope that explains the photos I've been posting :-) All the photos are now on Flickr.
Denise and Liz
Thursday, 5 June 2008
Philosophy
Etienne Wenger: "Learning is a social journey as well as a cognitive process in that it involves our whole being. By transforming our ability to participate in the world, it is a transformation of our identity."
Arsene Wenger: "I didn't see it but I think the referee was wrong"
Tuesday, 3 June 2008
Sunday, 1 June 2008
Saturday, 31 May 2008
Watch this
Turn up the volume and watch this. Watch it a few times and send the link to your friends. It's Tony Hirst's call to arms and it's brilliant. Then go out and do stuff....
Friday, 30 May 2008
Thursday, 29 May 2008
Next week
Big gig a go-go next week! Monday I'm visiting another prison - I suppose I'm pushing my luck and eventually they might decide to keep me but this time it's my "local" in Maidstone. Tuesday is the final SLN eLearning team event, ELT2, so we're topping and tailing the arrangements for that - anyone who can do Brighton should book, still a couple of places left. On Wednesday I'm lucky enough to have been invited to a small but important conference on offender learning. Experts from Germany and Sweden will be there with senior folk from HM Prison Service.
It might seem strange to be excited by this stuff but I don't get out much :-)
It might seem strange to be excited by this stuff but I don't get out much :-)
Wednesday, 28 May 2008
Tuesday, 27 May 2008
Monday, 26 May 2008
Anniversary
Just spotted that tomorrow is this blog's birthday! The first post was on 27th May, 2005. How's about that then?
Saturday, 24 May 2008
Friday, 23 May 2008
Monday, 19 May 2008
Seesmic
I've joined Seesmic - video-twittering (maybe?) You'll see a widget on the right which takes you to my first Seesmic effort. I think the technology is great and I can certainly see how I might use it but what is really, but really cool is that each first effort gets a reply from a real person who is talking to the "first poster".
Who said that the web would get rid of service???
I'm off to give it another go!
Who said that the web would get rid of service???
I'm off to give it another go!
This is how the world should work
Saturday, 17 May 2008
Tuesday, 13 May 2008
82, 000 and (no) change
The report goes on to suggest that the £110 m/annum spent on the Offender Learning and Skills Service (OLASS) is not delivering "to the level of which the service is capable" (NAO, 2008).Offenders have severe learning and skills needs: half of offenders in custody have no qualifications and almost 40 per cent have a reading age beneath that expected of a competent 11 year old. Addressing this is challenging as offenders are likely to have negative experiences of education in the past – almost half of offenders were excluded from school.Meeting Needs? The Offenders learning and skills service - National Audit Office report (March, 2008)
According to Debra Baldwin, Head of Prisoner Skills & Employment for NOMS nearly 70% of offenders have never been employed and if a parent is an offender a child has a better than 50% chance of ending up in gaol.
70% of convicted felons have two or more recognisable mental disorders
60% misused drugs and/or alcohol
32% were homeless prior to conviction.
Offender learning is a very seductive drug, most who come in contact with it become addicted for all sorts of reasons not least because it's "the right thing to do" and, like all junkies we think we can kick the habit when we want but I think we need to wise up.
The prison system in this country is actually serving as a final destination for those poorly served by compulsory education; 50% of those in prison were excluded from school, 30% were regularly truanting from school. Of course this raises another issue - should the school system be the place where those with mental illnesses can be diagnosed? And if it is what services have we in place to support people? But there can be little doubt that the current policy of building "Titan" prisons; prisons built to accommodate increasing numbers of offenders, won't deal with the real issues - in the UK today we wait until those who can't deal with modern society offend and then lock them away. And that's simply not working.
The prison system in this country is actually serving as a final destination for those poorly served by compulsory education; 50% of those in prison were excluded from school, 30% were regularly truanting from school. Of course this raises another issue - should the school system be the place where those with mental illnesses can be diagnosed? And if it is what services have we in place to support people? But there can be little doubt that the current policy of building "Titan" prisons; prisons built to accommodate increasing numbers of offenders, won't deal with the real issues - in the UK today we wait until those who can't deal with modern society offend and then lock them away. And that's simply not working.
Sunday, 11 May 2008
Reader's
I go past this building on the way to East Malling (of train station fame). the product is famous the world over and it all started at this little place in Teston, not far from where I live. Click on the image to see it biggerer.
Teenagers and embarrasing ailments
I thought that might generate interest!
Health care in Spain will now extend to offering a service for teenagers in Second Life. They are able to use an anonymous service to discuss health issues.
"This is a way to talk about their doubts about taking drugs or sexual relations which they cannot do in a traditional consultation."
Check out the Guardian story, hat-tip to JW for spotting it.
Blogged with the Flock Browser
Saturday, 10 May 2008
Wednesday, 7 May 2008
Quick post - already Twittered this
A view of what OU study means to a particular student - http://is.gd/dcg.
BTW
It's now possible to rate OpenLearn units and the SLN project is reaching its end. If anyone found "Working Online" useful or interesting or that it cleaned whiter than white and got all the stains out please hit the link and rate the unit. You know it makes sense :-)
Tuesday, 6 May 2008
Revolting
The citizens of Blunogville have once again become uppity. If time allows please click on the link to visit this peaceful idyll and do it daily :-)
Saturday, 3 May 2008
Wednesday, 30 April 2008
Conference
I'm at a two day conference at Walton Hall. Doug Clow's blog gives a flavour of some of the content. More later
Saturday, 26 April 2008
RIP Humph
BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Jazz legend Lyttelton dies at 86
Hump has gone. For those who aren't familiar with his work he was a jazz trumpeter and he chaired a comedy programme on radio from 1972 to his death. The programme, "I'm sorry I haven't a clue", was very simple and very funny and famously the home of "Mornington Crescent".
If you've not heard it try and find a way to listen to the edition being broadcast at 12:00 (BST) on Sunday, 27/04
Blogged with the Flock Browser
Wednesday, 23 April 2008
Monday, 21 April 2008
Sunday, 20 April 2008
Wednesday, 16 April 2008
Baaa!
Flickr have improved their service so that sheep coverage can be enhanced. This video was taken outside my house.
Monday, 7 April 2008
nooooooo!
Laptop has died. I've rushed it over to a blokey in Ashford but it's not looking good. Being rubbish at these things I've not got a backup and I can only hope that the data on the disk is still readable as it has photos of the children which I can't replace as well as work and OU work. Totally not happy about this :-(
Saturday, 5 April 2008
Before the off
I took this and sent it just before we went in to the degree ceremony. Martin Smith is the the red and yellow chatting with Heather McLannahan while Jenny Lynden looks on.
Friday, 4 April 2008
Why Bradford?
Just to explain why I was in Bradford. It was a NIACE conference on offender learning, specifically eLearning policy. Fascinating stuff including an interesting presentation from the Head of Learning and Skills at HMP Wormwood Scrubs and it was great to meet Cos Michael from the Prisoners Education Trust.Thursday, 3 April 2008
The People's Republic
Love this web site (image is the link) - hat tip to Tony Hirst for flagging it up on Twitter. Check it out and you'll see that he is an honorary citizen!
Blogged with the Flock Browser
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
Bradford
Blogged with the Flock Browser
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