WordPress designer of courses, communities, etc. Endorsed by Nancy White. 1/2013 May be someone we should consider for future customization?

Reflection blog post by Nancy White on 1.9.13 on her Project Community course that she co-taught at the Hague. Offers many insights including this jewel below on what the learning design must bring together: "The other aspect of the design was to bring three elements together: sense making discussions about the subject matter (synchronously in class and asynchronously on the class website), insights from weekly "guests" shared via 5-10 minute videos (to bring a variety of voices), and action learning through small group experiences and team projects. I know there are strong feelings about team projects, but building collaboration skills was part of the course learning objectives, so this was a "must do." And we spent time talking about the how - -and reflecting on what was and wasn't working as a vector for learning these skills."

Jenny Mackness does it again: making important distinctions between curriculum led and community led learning within MOOCs; and how the balance may change based on successful formation of learning groups within the MOOC. She also asks about the difference between learning design and planning for learning. 1.14.23 on her blog.

video by Matt Smith in a Tedx Bellevue conference, published on YouTube in December 2012 on how we blame and shame ourselves for our mistakes instead of taking a failure bow, learning, and moving on to succeed the next time. (12 minutes)

whether or not to use Twitter--funny infographic

Jane Hart's reading list for 2012 of monthly curated links to useful articles, presentations and readings.

An article view by Jenna Wortham at the New York Times of different online learning sites for mastering computer codes and programming, March 27, 2012. Mentions Codecademy, Girls Develop It, Treehouse, General Assembly, etc. Excerpt: "Peter Harsha, director of government affairs at the association, said the figure had been steadily climbing for the last three years, after a six-year decline in the aftermath of the dot-com bust. Mr. Harsha said that interest in computer science was cyclical but that the current excitement seemed to be more than a blip and was not limited to people who wanted to be engineers. "To be successful in the modern world, regardless of your occupation, requires a fluency in computers," he said. "It is more than knowing how to use Word or Excel but how to use a computer to solve problems." "

Cognitive coaching model by Costa and Garmston, found 1.2013

Best short article on mixing it up in networks and forums to innovate, expand one's thinking, etc. that I have seen. By Grant McCracken, HBR, 1.4.13. Believe this short article has value for personal learning plan/network development. Excerpt: Only the person with several addresses in the conceptual world can hope for serendipity, that extraordinary moment when vexing problems vanish before the approach of deeply unexpected understanding.

video tool

Common Craft Video production membership

Way to take images with your web cam and put them together into a video.

LA Times article on free, online, no credit college-level courses, December 9, 2011. Check to see if they are all in directory.

Amazing blog by Susan Lucille Davis for creativity in the new year, January 3, 2013 Many wonderful URL/links are provided here.

Questions will get your good answers.

This framework reminds of what we need to use for our Story Booth-- Seth Godin's Icarus Sessions "The rules are simple The Icarus Sessions are a challenging new way to bring your art forward. Not to make a sales pitch, not to get customers or patrons, but to find the courage to stand up and say, "here, I made this." You can attend a session without presenting, of course. A presentation at an Icarus Session is 140 seconds long. You can go shorter, but not a second longer. You can use slides, or handouts, or even better, just bring your enthusiasm. The assignment: Tell the group about your art. What have you created? What frightened you? What matters? Not a pitch. An act of brave vulnerability. I made this. It scared me. This might not work. Here's how it changed me. What do you think?"

Wish I had seen this last year!

Fits into digital literacies--attention and search

Really good Prezi on creating personal learning networks; has video by Will Richardson and http://www.scoop.it/t/pln-creation URL

Wow, look at this issue of Knowledge Quest (November/December 2012) on PLNs! Also, below are several learning opportunities of interest: KQ webinar on professional learning communities, curation, 30 second Thought Leadership, etc. These are school librarians.