7.2.4 Reflect ; THE WIKI AND THE WARMWARE

I learnt that the term ‘Wiki’i is a Hawai'ian word meaning "fast" or "quick."

That is it!

In using the wiki I was able to edit the various pieces and parts of web page by reading, writing and thinking concurrently. In this manner I were able to build on others’ knowledge – adding deleting improving – an indication of Wikis ability to demonstrate that knowledge is both cumulative and ever-changing.

I appreciated that Wikis help track versioning, capturing the history of all edits so that I was able to track who contributed and how they contributed. Thus I was able to ‘track changes’ inadvertently. Above all, the collaborative aspect of the wiki highlights the concept that reading, writing and learning should not be done in isolation in the classroom.

To edit a wiki, I did not use need any additional software other than the browser.

In the classroom I would use a wiki because wikis encourage participation of everyone and also the validity of contributions are  made for the collective good rather than the individual although through this process an individual writer completely loses his/her personal voice ( which is important for a budding writer)

On a funny note,at one moment I lost all my edits because I closed the tab before I had hit the ‘Save’ button.

Quotable quotes: A reflection of my learning

 Warmware are “the people who use or operate (often very unsuccessfully) the software running on the hardware” (Urban Dictionary definition)

The recent OCED report Students, Computers and Learning: Making the Connection states that “the successful integration of technology in education is not so much a matter of choosing the right device, the right amount of time to spend with it, the best software or the right digital textbook. The key elements for success are the teachers, school leaders and other decision makers who have the vision, and the ability, to make the connection between students, computers and learning.” If this is the case, why is so little time and money spent on this crucial “missing link” in ICT integration?

                          

Is CCTI making this connection? Is Uganda making this connection?

                                                 

7.1 LEARNING SPACE AND LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

While engaging in this activity my companion was the task, my computer, the tutorial, my phone and myself. ‘Far away’ were the tutor and my fellow course mates. I worked largely with the first three and less obviously with the last two. I started working in Kampala and carried my laptop and WIFI along to Lira (up country) where I am now writing this.

What then is a learning space? Is it different from a learning environment?  I needed learning space-(Physical) someplace anywhere where I could sit and work freely with concentration. This space also included having a laptop (hardware and software), electricity and a reliable network.

I would not have successfully produced the video annotation if the learning environment was not conducive: the factors that influence learning - learning resources and technology, means of teaching and modes of learning (the CCTI platform), and connections to societal and global contexts, human behavioral and cultural dimensions, including the vital role of emotion in learning. Therefore, Space becomes environment when it is stretched to include a broader sense of place, as well as the people who participate and the culture in which these elements are situated. The idea of environment invites a wider range of participants: administrators of various levels and functions, faculty, guest experts, librarians, IT staff, instructional designers, and learning theorists and researchers. The term implies a multiplicity of players, forces, and systems interacting. Environment is dynamic—changing in response to influences from outside or arising inside.

In doing all this I became a producer of knowledge, my skills of critical thinking and creativity were stretched taut, I collaborated with my course mates and shared my video on you tube. I conclude with this thought:  technologies and teaching methods will continue to evolve means that the job of creating effective learning environments is a journey, not a destination.

The lingering question here is: Is Uganda ripe enough to allow traditional classrooms change into a highly flexible production studio?