Monthly Archives: May 2011

The role of the storyteller in education. How we use objects and narratives to build coherent histories.

Posted on May 31, 2011 by julianstodd

Do you know the difference between a crocodile and an alligator? I was in the Natural History Museum in London at the weekend with some friends, and this was one of the many new things that i learnt. Museum education … Continue reading →

Posted in Interpretation, Learning, Museum Education, Storytelling | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Hasn’t the weather been lovely? The concepts of ‘phatic’ and ‘ideational’ communication and why not everything has to be informative when we write learning materials.

Posted on May 27, 2011 by julianstodd

There are two elements to a typical conversation, which are described as ‘phatic’ and ‘ideational’. Put simply, ideational conversation is informative, whilst phatic conversation serves a social function. When you meet up with someone for the first time and mention … Continue reading →

Posted in Communication, Ideational, Learning, Phatic, Writing | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

Why do we choose the words we do? Choosing your voice and creating identity in real and online spaces.

Posted on May 26, 2011 by julianstodd

What’s in a word? Quite a lot actually. We choose the words that we use in the same way that we choose the clothes we wear and the colour we paint our lounge. Words are powerful, emotive and evocative. Their … Continue reading →

Posted in Identity, Language, Online Spaces, Words | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Building a Business Case: Five reasons to use e-learning and why they work

Posted on May 25, 2011 by julianstodd

Anyone who knows me well will know that i’m not one for lists, but a number of people have asked me what the main reasons are for using e-learning. In no particular order, here are five reasons and some thoughts … Continue reading →

Posted in Blended Learning, Branching Video, Business Case, Demonstration, E-Learning, Effectiveness, Footsteps, Post Course Learning, Post Course Learning, Pre Course Learning, Pre Course Learning | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

The day the iPhone died. How downgrading is more painful that anticipated.

Posted on May 24, 2011 by julianstodd

Well, at least it’s not hardware failure, just the SIM that’s fried, but for whatever reasons, my iPhone 4 is dead. Not to worry, because my failure to trade in or sell the old one has finally paid off – … Continue reading →

Posted in iPad, iPad 2, iPhone, Upgrade | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Map reading in online spaces. Understanding how learners explore the web and how to avoid losing them.

Posted on May 23, 2011 by julianstodd

We have strategies for navigation. At our earliest age, we are immobile, rolling around, looking at our immediate environment, searching for and finding comfort in familiarity, prisoners of our own frailty. We start to crawl, exploring further, learning to probe … Continue reading →

Posted in E-Learning, Exploration, Learning, Navigation, Spaces | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

One Hundred, not out. Reflections on the Learning Blog.

Posted on May 20, 2011 by julianstodd

Today, it’s a reflective post, because this is number 100. Since i started the blog on the 1st January, 2011, i’ve managed to achieve what i set out to do and have written every weekday, with the exception of UK … Continue reading →

Posted in Blog, Learning, Reflection | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Transient Community. Understanding the role and impact of temporary learning communities and spaces.

Posted on May 19, 2011 by julianstodd

Nothing lasts forever, but some things are more transient than others. When learners come together for classes or workshops, they immediately start to demonstrate elements of community building. Through speech, questions, clothing, behaviour and writing, they start to organise along … Continue reading →

Posted in Community of Practice, Engagement, Facebook, Group Dynamics, Leadership, Learning, Permanence | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

What do we learn from depression? Empathy and context in personal development.

Posted on May 18, 2011 by julianstodd

As well as learning from external stimuli, sometimes we learn through introspection. It’s estimated that 30-50% of people will display clinical signs of depression at some point in their lives, a debilitating condition, with no immediately apparent benefits. Much debate … Continue reading →

Posted in Empathy, Introspection, Learning, Reflection | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Leader of the pack. Can you learn Leadership?

Posted on May 17, 2011 by julianstodd

Revisiting the thorny question today of whether ‘leadership’ is teachable. Is it something that you can learn to do, or is it something you naturally are: a leader? Sure, you can teach techniques and processes, you can even inspire and … Continue reading →

Posted in Leadership, Learning | Tagged , , | Leave a comment