Thursday, 23 February 2017
Display, Engage, Participation
This is a video illustrating my model 'Display, Engage, Participation‘ in more detail. It was created in 2014 and first appeared in my blog post ‘A little deeper with eLearning’. I've shown and discussed it in many places such as training sessions, conferences and more recently in my masters dissertation; ‘Putting learning into learning technology: developing a pedagogical rationale to deliver eLearning’ to give it a more detailed explanation. The following is an excerpt from my masters dissertation that provides a wider explanation of it's use and purpose.
Wednesday, 22 February 2017
New course design for reflective learning
Further from my ALT Online Winter Conference 2016 'The rounded self – exploring how digital technology can be used to help student’s present soft-skills'. I was invited by Geoff Rebbeck to provide a webinar on 22 February 2017 for the FELTAG (Further Education Learning Technology Action Group) SIG (Special Interest Group) and contribute to its manifesto. Thank you Geoff for the opportunity to share my practices and thinking.
I chose the theme 'new course design for reflective learning' in Digital Learning Environments and eLearning objects because it's an interesting area to me, plus it's quite fitting as reflection is a big part of my personality too. I decided to present this as a 'walk and talk' presentation, meaning that I wanted it to be like you were asking for an informal chat about it and we’d take a walk to discuss it. It's most likely nothing new but reinforcing some points. Below is the outline of my webinar that I delivered and a video of my presentation.
"Dan will lead a ‘walk and talk’ webinar, exploring ideas on how reflection can be utilised more in online course design, drawing on his own experience as an expert in e-learning both in a college setting and in the commercial world."
I chose the theme 'new course design for reflective learning' in Digital Learning Environments and eLearning objects because it's an interesting area to me, plus it's quite fitting as reflection is a big part of my personality too. I decided to present this as a 'walk and talk' presentation, meaning that I wanted it to be like you were asking for an informal chat about it and we’d take a walk to discuss it. It's most likely nothing new but reinforcing some points. Below is the outline of my webinar that I delivered and a video of my presentation.
"Dan will lead a ‘walk and talk’ webinar, exploring ideas on how reflection can be utilised more in online course design, drawing on his own experience as an expert in e-learning both in a college setting and in the commercial world."
Tuesday, 14 February 2017
Get my rocks on
From a very young age, I've always been attracted to spiritual things. May that be beliefs in the afterlife, crystals, spirit cards, dreamcatchers etc. Back then I didn't know how to engage, explain, interpret or work with these things, but the interest was there. It just was unfathomable to me.
Years later I stumbled across the Ghost Whisperer (2005) TV show. I bought season one in 2009 (if not, 2008) but didn't actually get to watching until a year or so later. Yes it is scripted fantasy TV and made is entertainment, not fully reflective of such experiences, but the programme was written and underpinned with mediums and real stories that explain how the spirit world works. It was also through this show that I was inspired by Melinda Gordon's character. More so how she helped people heal. Her character expressed her unique gift in communicating with spirits of people who have passed. But more so her empathetic personality, which inspired me want to become a more compassionate person - and still does today. I have been to many mediumship services, healing/open circles and demonstrations, with my medium friend over many years, and witnessed lots of evidence and question marks, that have left me even more curious of what is beyond the material earth plane.
Over the years I have always been drawn to collecting polished crystals, fossils and volcanic rocks etc. I must have had a helping hand from the 'Treasures of the Earth' magazine that was out way back when! I have been drawn to rocks purely due to their natural history and aesthetic formations but always knew there was some sort of deeper connection with them. Many people (and I feel it myself) say that I have a good soul and the ability to heal others. So due to my interest in spirituality, crystals and wanting to learn something completely different to my profession, crystal healing was at the top! Actually, I recall investigating doing a crystal healing course in 2014. For years I have carried crystals with me every now and again, depending what I need to a boost of - even in job interviews, and given as a first date gift. Every time I go to Meadowhall in Sheffield, I feel the need to visit the part-crystal shop at the bottom of The Lanes. Fruit and vegetables come from the ground and are good for you, so surely crystals have healthy properties. So now is the time to learn crystals properly in a healing context.
Not sure when my crystal collection began, but below is what I have at present. I know many that I have in my collection, but some I need to re-identify. I like to collect them as well as use for healing. I do have a lot of other raw crystals, rocks and fossils in my collection, which I may share in a later blog post.
At the end of 2016, I bought a cool box (above) to put them all in and I bought Judy Hall's 'Complete Crystal Workshop' book. I have always been a bit dubious buying crystal healing books as I once learned that you need to experience the vibrations from the crystals, not by another person's experience. However, this book is based exactly on what I experience and feel from the crystals - just what I was looking for. Here's to the start to my 'official' informal journey of learning and practicing crystal healing!
Years later I stumbled across the Ghost Whisperer (2005) TV show. I bought season one in 2009 (if not, 2008) but didn't actually get to watching until a year or so later. Yes it is scripted fantasy TV and made is entertainment, not fully reflective of such experiences, but the programme was written and underpinned with mediums and real stories that explain how the spirit world works. It was also through this show that I was inspired by Melinda Gordon's character. More so how she helped people heal. Her character expressed her unique gift in communicating with spirits of people who have passed. But more so her empathetic personality, which inspired me want to become a more compassionate person - and still does today. I have been to many mediumship services, healing/open circles and demonstrations, with my medium friend over many years, and witnessed lots of evidence and question marks, that have left me even more curious of what is beyond the material earth plane.
Over the years I have always been drawn to collecting polished crystals, fossils and volcanic rocks etc. I must have had a helping hand from the 'Treasures of the Earth' magazine that was out way back when! I have been drawn to rocks purely due to their natural history and aesthetic formations but always knew there was some sort of deeper connection with them. Many people (and I feel it myself) say that I have a good soul and the ability to heal others. So due to my interest in spirituality, crystals and wanting to learn something completely different to my profession, crystal healing was at the top! Actually, I recall investigating doing a crystal healing course in 2014. For years I have carried crystals with me every now and again, depending what I need to a boost of - even in job interviews, and given as a first date gift. Every time I go to Meadowhall in Sheffield, I feel the need to visit the part-crystal shop at the bottom of The Lanes. Fruit and vegetables come from the ground and are good for you, so surely crystals have healthy properties. So now is the time to learn crystals properly in a healing context.
Not sure when my crystal collection began, but below is what I have at present. I know many that I have in my collection, but some I need to re-identify. I like to collect them as well as use for healing. I do have a lot of other raw crystals, rocks and fossils in my collection, which I may share in a later blog post.
At the end of 2016, I bought a cool box (above) to put them all in and I bought Judy Hall's 'Complete Crystal Workshop' book. I have always been a bit dubious buying crystal healing books as I once learned that you need to experience the vibrations from the crystals, not by another person's experience. However, this book is based exactly on what I experience and feel from the crystals - just what I was looking for. Here's to the start to my 'official' informal journey of learning and practicing crystal healing!
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