Category Archives: Exploration

Playing with learning: a very sociable model

Posted on April 4, 2013 by

A conversation on Twitter this morning has made me think about play. Playing is all about learning: it can be a solitary activity or done with friends, it can be done in dedicated ‘formally‘ defined play spaces, or it can … Continue reading →

Posted in Assessment, Collaboration, Community, Context, Curiosity, Demonstration, Discovery, Education, Effectiveness, Everyday Reality, Experience, Exploration, Footsteps, Formal Spaces, Graffiti, Informal Spaces, Knowledge, Learning, Learning Design, Learning Journey, Learning Methodology, Mistakes, Play, Reflection, Social Capital, Social Learning | Tagged , , , , , | 3 Comments

Learning from art: social learning in museums and the difference between virtual and real

Posted on March 20, 2013 by

Seeking inspiration yesterday, i ventured into the Stedilijk museum in Amsterdam. It promised to help me in two ways: a world class collection of modern art and unlimited free WiFi. The perfect destination. We appreciate art on two levels: the … Continue reading →

Posted in Aesthetics, Art, Collaboration, Community, Concepts, Creative, Environment, Experience, Exploration, Formal Spaces, History, Knowledge, Learning, Meaning, Museum Education, Narrative, Nuance, Social Learning, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Taking the long way around: circular routes to learning

Posted on March 19, 2013 by

I am forever getting lost in Amsterdam, which is odd as it’s quite a small city. The problem comes from the way it’s arranged in a series of concentric horseshoe shapes around the canals. This makes it very pretty, you … Continue reading →

Posted in Adaptability, Adventure, Choices, Connections, Creative, Curiosity, Discovery, Edgelands, Exploration, Familiarity, Freedom, Leadership, Learning, Learning Journey, Map, Navigation, Walking | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Forming bonds and partnerships in social learning: joining the community

Posted on March 6, 2013 by

My first week in Amsterdam and i’m starting to make friends. The guy in the off licence who sold me the wine, the girl in the coffee shop where i’m writing now, the elderly neighbour. Our initial partnerships are formal, … Continue reading →

Posted in Coffee, Community, Community of Practice, Connections, Conversation, Culture, Environment, Exploration, Identity, Personal Learning Network, Relationship, Social Learning, Social Media, Social Networking | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Discovering new ideas: developing our professional practice

Posted on February 25, 2013 by

I spent last week working on the new book on ‘music in learning‘, taking time out of my everyday routine to dedicate to writing. I learnt a lot during that time. These short sabbaticals are invaluable: opportunities to develop new … Continue reading →

Posted in Adaptability, Agile, Choreography, Collaboration, Connections, Creative, Discovery, Exploration, Ideas, Information, Knowledge, Learning, Meaning, Narrative, Personal Learning Network, Social Learning | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The convergence of mobile and social learning

Posted on January 22, 2013 by

I used to view mobile and social learning separately: social learning as ‘the semi formal layers of learning that surround the formal‘ and mobile learning as primarily technology, but my mindset has changed. Increasingly they form, for me, part of … Continue reading →

Posted in Agile, Apps, Assessment, Blended Learning, Design, E-Learning, Everyday Reality, Exploration, Formal Spaces, Informal Spaces, Learning, Learning Journey, Learning Methodology, Learning Technology, Mobile Learning, Social Learning | Tagged , , , , , , , | 18 Comments

Learning science: the power of steam

Posted on January 3, 2013 by

Christmas is a time for families and for me that means my nine year old niece and six year old nephew. Once the flurry of wrapping paper has subsided and the boxes have been ripped open, once the new spaceship … Continue reading →

Posted in Adventure, Creative, Exploration, Ideas, Knowledge, Learning, Learning Journey, Narrative, Play, Problem Solving, Science, Stories, Theory | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Scaffolded social learning environments for scenario based training: practical implementations

Posted on December 13, 2012 by

Bridging the gap between abstract training environments and the reality of everyday life is always a challenge. This can be particularly true when we are looking at high stress situations: training people to deal with emergencies that, by their nature, … Continue reading →

Posted in 'Just in time' learning, Challenge, Collaboration, Community, Control, Dialogue, Effectiveness, Embedding, Everyday Reality, Exploration, Informal Spaces, Learning, Learning Design, Learning Journey, Learning Technology, Performance, Problem Solving, Scaffolding, Social Learning | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments

Road trip: learning and adapting to be resourceful

Posted on November 15, 2012 by

The blog is on tour around Florida for two weeks, so posts will be erratic and may contain reptiles and be enjoyed with a mojito. Yesterday bought us to the Everglades and the chance to ride an airboat out into … Continue reading →

Posted in Adaptability, Adventure, Agile, Challenge, Change, Experience, Exploration, Future, Learning | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Scaffolding pockets of social learning: ideas for practical implementation

Posted on November 5, 2012 by

Engagement over time is valuable in learning, giving us time to reflect, to try things out back in the real world, to draw together our learning. Providing appropriate, flexible and easily accessible social learning spaces around formal learning experiences is … Continue reading →

Posted in Community, Exploration, Learning, Learning Design, Moderator, Nuance, Reflection, Scaffolding, Social Learning | Tagged , , | 5 Comments