Disqus - Latest Comments for SarahHorrigan

Re: ALT-C 2011

SarahHorrigan — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 11:24:37 -0000

F-ALT sounds like a plan to me... have a few contenders in mind...

Re: Can I tell you a secret?

SarahHorrigan — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 10:36:52 -0000

@Andreas - thanks for the comment. They can overlap, as AJCann says, but I am struggling a bit with remembering who I put in the circles when I'm sharing something and have 'accidentally' shared things with people I didn't necessarily want to. You could get to circles within circles within circles to manage your sharing - but that's rather cumbersome and again, complex to manage. So, back on the 'not sure what I make of it' side again for me!

Re: Can I tell you a secret?

SarahHorrigan — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 10:31:20 -0000

They can overlap - but it's seriously difficult to manage them. I have things I want to discuss with one group, but not another... and remembering who's in what group is so tricky. Am sure there will be improvements to the circles concept, but I'm still trying to find where it fits in my head at the moment.

Re: Google + blundering in the dark equals...

SarahHorrigan — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 07:18:14 -0000

Thank you! Have updated.

Re: Google + blundering in the dark equals...

SarahHorrigan — Tue, 12 Jul 2011 07:14:44 -0000

I like the distinction between Facebook and Google - I think it has more of a feel of Twitter to me at the mo, i.e. I use that for work-related things rather than personal stuff. Perhaps Google+ is more a 'Facebook for Twitterers'? Or maybe it's just one of those things where it is what it needs to be. Or not at all in many cases, I imagine!

As to numbers of circles - it's the fact that you can't scale or control their size in any way (as yet) which means that less is more in terms of screen real-estate etc. It also means that whilst you're trying out the way in which it might work for you, it keeps things manageable. To grow from a small number is easier than to prune from lots.

Re: More Tricks to using the iPod Touch in education

SarahHorrigan — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:52:15 -0000

I guess it's a combination of things which makes the iPod Touch a goodie - especially when compared with its meaty (costly!) big brother the iPhone. The multi-touch screen is really effective, the app store is jam-packed with free goodness (as well as the paid stuff I don't generally touch)... and... hey... it looks purrty! :o)

Yes, there are other media players out there which can and probably do give it a run for its money... but the combination of wifi, design, features and applications makes the iPod Touch a really strong contender where mobile learning's concerned.

Re: Things I love about tagging

SarahHorrigan — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 05:53:49 -0000

Thanks, Zak... would be really interested to hear more about Yahoo pipes and FriendFeed (am not even attempting to hide my nerdiness this morning!)

True about misspelling tags being an issue... but that's where getting in to the habit of using unique thematic tags along with whatever other tags seem to fit. As long as you've got the unique tags nailed, the rest don't matter so much.

Re: Communities of reciprocity and Twitter

SarahHorrigan — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:55:30 -0000

"Buying fans" - funny isn't it... you can't buy fans in real life, you have to earn them... so how come they think that buying fans / followers will work now? Weird!

Re: The copyright dance and making a video

SarahHorrigan — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:54:23 -0000

Excellent! No probs.

Re: The copyright dance and making a video

SarahHorrigan — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:54:10 -0000

Glad it was helpful, Stuart! :o)

Re: VLEs and real learning

SarahHorrigan — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:53:48 -0000

Social:Learn - yes, hybridization of learning environments... think there's an interesting future kicking around there!

Re: VLEs and real learning

SarahHorrigan — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:53:11 -0000

Agree. They're not the most inspiring of spaces, are they?

Re: VLEs and real learning

SarahHorrigan — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 07:52:55 -0000

I do get what you're saying, but I also wonder if it's as black and white as that? I've done a fair few bits of fiddling with the VLE to bring in web 2.0 tools and technologies to improve the experience. I suppose the fact that it's me who can do this rather than the students is the bit where it is still essentially a TGLE (teacher-guided learning environment) rather than a PLE... but maybe allowing services to integrate a little more would give people the opportunity to be guided towards an effective use of tools rather than just saying 'go, find your own'? Guided PLEs - is that an option?

Re: Potted Guide to RSS

SarahHorrigan — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 15:29:55 -0000

Yup - no probs! Am doing a version with audio too... but you're welcome to use, re-use this version.

Re: Virtual technologies and university involvement

SarahHorrigan — Tue, 12 May 2009 07:12:56 -0000

Nah, I've got no issue with informal learning. I think it's the link with 'pub chatter' which I found a bit jarring. It's more equivalent to students setting up a study group rather than after hours chit chat. There's a perception (which I don't know is necessarily Brian's but it was how that particular bit read to me) that what happens outside the classroom is not quite of the 'right' standard and I come across this over and over again. There is a real lack of value attributed to the power of informal learning.

Re: Virtual technologies and university involvement

SarahHorrigan — Tue, 12 May 2009 06:02:25 -0000

I kinda think it is in lots of respects! We could at least acknowledge properly that the boundary between various types of learning is less and less meaningful as technology helps make it so. Education is much less 'in here' or 'out there' anymore. It's 'wherever'.

Re: Principles for future VLEs?

SarahHorrigan — Mon, 11 May 2009 15:36:17 -0000

Absolutely! I really like that article, especially "they remain embedded in the classroom paradigm." Isn't that just so true? I come across people constantly who are seeking only to replicate the current environment of their teaching and not thinking about what it is the students should be learning and how to get them to that point. Creativity of design goes out of the window. A VLE is just one tool. It's not *the* tool... and yet... reading something like the above, you'd think it was...

Re: Twitter mysteries and "twetiquette"

SarahHorrigan — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 04:49:17 -0000

Thanks - I'm glad it's not just me has a Twitter-follower-filter! :o)

Re: Twitter mysteries and "twetiquette"

SarahHorrigan — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 04:48:39 -0000

There are certain people I do tend to block if they follow me. Generally porn or internet marketeers will earn themselves an instant block... and most people get the benefit of the doubt... and I get that not everyone likes to actively participate - but it would be nice if they did, right?

Re: The beauty of simplicity

SarahHorrigan — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 12:45:43 -0000

Gotta love the idea behind that! Inspired! :o)

Re: How do I know if I'm a dinosaur?

SarahHorrigan — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 05:20:00 -0000

I was just putting together a staff skills audit... I think I may scrap it and use your blog post instead :o))

Re: How do I know if I'm a dinosaur?

SarahHorrigan — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 04:47:44 -0000

I think we're all dinosaurs... just some of us are geekier dinosaurs than others. Education is evolving so fast, it's hard to make any kind of statement about where we are right now

Make a note to yourself to look at this post in one or two years time and see if your dinosaurification system still works. :o)

Re: 29 rantable tech phrases

SarahHorrigan — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 04:35:59 -0000

I'm so glad it's not just me that cringes at webinars. Blurgh, blurgh, blurgh!!!

As to the 2.0-ification of everything... at least it's not something dull like "Assessment 2.0" or "Library 2.0" which I heard yesterday! Adding 2.0 does not make it sparkly fresh, does it! :o)

Re: The conundrum of the celebrity Twitterer

SarahHorrigan — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 04:33:59 -0000

Wow guys - thanks all for the comments. As I said, it's just one of those things I haven't really got my head around. I noticed a rash of people joining Twitter when the Stephen Fry - Jonathan Ross TV Twitter thing happened... and since then, they've just as rapidly disappeared. It set me wondering as to why they bothered... which spilled into... what's the celebrity Twitter thing about.

Great to hear all of your perspectives! Bob - how odd to have been one of the first ones in and then get swamped by all the other followers.

Sarah (aka Cyber Puritan) :o))

Re: Wordle your work

SarahHorrigan — Wed, 25 Feb 2009 14:56:57 -0000

Wordling your abstract - now *that* idea has merit!!

Pure genius. :o)