Champion : Robyn Jay | Ode To LearnScope
Oct 15th, 2007 by alexanderhayes
[ image : robynejay ]
Last year Robyn and I fielded many questions regarding the value of teams using blogs, wiki’s and web2.0 technology with teams as part of NSW LearnScope. This year it’s gone to web 3.0 and yet most of us are playing catch-up.
We still are and in my estimations we have ten years of “pd”, ” VET Capability Building” ahead of us to bring this all into everyday use as an industry standard and as a global resource base for knowledge dissemination and as a participatory media platform to engage learners…….in organisations otherwise engaged in shutting everything down or applying the screws on networked learning.
Lucky us 
With E-Learning07 fast approaching and the concluditory remarks being made about what LearnScope has meant to people as individuals first and as educators secondly, I want to make a few remarks about what it has meant for me to be a Project Officer with NSW LearnScope and the learning journey it has been for me…………. but firstly lets reflect a little.
I came to NSW LearnScope with many AFLF projects under my belt and research for the Flexible Learning Framework progressing m-learning all complete. I was working with CLI, TAFE NSW and it was killing me - slowly - I needed to “breathe” in the open web. Everyone knows that fact and rather than whinge I simply went to where I was needed - the web.
It’s my home.
Robyn and I were also the target of ridicule when we said we’d be managing our teams in 2007 using a wiki and communicating via a blog ( this one ) and using a whole range of open web publishing technologies like Flickr to keep abreast of what was happening out there in the web and in the field. In fact the most amount of questioning came from the very people managing us and rightly so….this was a real change in the way the management of teams could and would occur and raised many fears and concerns…..along with the questions.
They can see it though cant they ? Is it authentic ? How does this work ? What happens if hackers change your content ? Is it reliable ? On whose server / What are the policy agreements for this ? Creative Commons ? Your doing what with the teams ? You mean to say we are expected to write stuff in a wiki ? Etc. Etc.
Of course we posited that we’d be scaffolding the learning using existing means of communication like email and phone contact as well as making the effort to visit at least once every team in NSW LearnScope no matter where they were located at their request. This has affected our health and well being at times. That’s the truth……if there is such a thing.
We also positioned ourselves to state that we don’t only deal with TAFE NSW alone( sure - 60% of teams are TAFE NSW ) but with ACE, Enterprise and private RTO’s spread everywhere and all with different intranets and internets.
Well, after a year of working with Robyn I can comfortably say that Robyn is one of the most committed, well versed, enthusiastic e-learning advocates and innovators that I’m ever likely to come in contact with and an absolute challenge, pleasure and privilege to work ….and yes….live with. Ever heard of two employees living AND working together ?
So, NSW LearnScope has meant the world to literally. Robyn has meant the world to me as my boss.
NSW LearnScope has provided me with an opportunity to help others better understand ways in which to engage others in conversations and build connections. I have been challenged, disappointed, elated, enthusiastic, worried and all other emotions wrapped up into one through this last year.
This has been the biggest and most amazing year of my life. I have a beautiful partner, a newly born son and a loving family in you all……the many and varied virtual connections have proven that.
I’m exhausted and yet have enough energy to see us through this year and who knows what will come next. I have valued working with you all and I do apologise if I’ve seemed anxious at times to ensure and see this has all worked.
We have come far and traveled together and for this I am thankful. Let’s celebrate our differences, extol our values for a positively critical discourse with respect to e-learning and digital identity and most of all lets grow this conversation with confidence openly and in connected learning spaces and places.
Love learning and live life to it’s full.
Your learners are depending on you doing both.
ah shucks Alex, I couldn’t have done it alone : )
Some of us just love a challenge don’t we. We just can’t help ourselves can we!
Years ago I was offered a full time teaching position and turned it down. It was the best thing I did in my career - either I would have gone mad or my head teacher would have hehehe…..
It’s serendipity …. fate ….. sometimes people come along and the time is right. For me that happened in 2006.
It’s been a great journey and now, onwards into an unknown but no doubt interesting and challenging future.
Congratulations to you both - I’ve been in awe watching what you have achieved and it has been exciting being part of the process.
Having been a previous National LearnScope and NSW LearnScope Manager, and been involved since its inception in 1997, it’s been a remarkable journey. I still remember the name being registered and those early innovators, Robby Weatherley, Marie Jasinski, Anne Walsh and Rose Grozdanic paving the way. What insight they had, supported as always, by Maret Staron.
Those management walls aren’t easy to break down either - strange how the most resistance comes from above. I bet, despite your achievements, you are still submitting your reports in the proforma required!
And yes Alex, I agree that only now are we starting to see real results, and there is at least 5 years of capability building ahead - we’ve just reached the early majority I believe. With technology moving as fast as it is, there will always be more to learn and thank goodness for people such as you and Robyn who are willing to immerse us in it, model the process and make it part of the way we work - two of the best PD strategies available!
But hey, there’s still a few weeks left and gee, those reports to submit!
It certainly has been a remarkable journey Val.
I’ve had the privilege of meeting amazing people like Rose and Maree and hold onto those people as friends for dear life.
Thank you for your kind words and I’m sure that Robyn would agree……its been a steep learning curve and an exciting one. It’s time for me to get some reflection time in soon and to ensure that I move into projects which require my skills and attitude…..also considering that my home has shifted 3 hours to the west.
The attitude bit is important because nothing less than the best will suffice.
You are one of those great people I have met Val and your time with me will continue to live on …..see you in Skype and SL tonight.
