Farewell MAODE....I hope!

Well the ECA finally left the building over a week ago!!! It has felt strange suddenly having nothing to study after 2 years. It was also strange not to be part of a learning community anymore. However those feelings didn't last too long. OU provided me with 18 (now 21) students for the final run of E124. It's lovely having a whole group of students who are experienced at studying with OU...hopefully no surprises! The course materials have all changed so that's given me some bedtime reading. As E124 is integrated into new course E100 there are one or tow training sessiosn to complete....think tomorrows telephone conference should iron out most of the kinks.
Then I only went and got swine flu...still feel like death warmed up!

I must say some thank you's to one or two people who have helped me with this MAODE.
Firstly my brilliant hubby who took all my rantings on the chin when the damn internet crashed, went to work in unironed shirts and provided copiuos ampounts of chocolate and wine. My 3 fantastic kids who have practically brought themselves up these past 2 years and have done a better job than I could!! To Enda, my fab study buddy, who along with Clive and Rick cheered me on and on and on practically carrying me to the finish line. To all my MAODE peers over 4 courses....you are all brilliant. To my great OU tutors and the MAODE course team and to OU for paying for it all....huge thanks!!!!!

Final ECA!!!

I can't believe this is the end of the MAODE and my last ECA. It's been two years but feels a lot less. It's not been easy but I've loved every minute of it. Studying at Masters level has been way better than studying at BSc level.
So now the last hurdle has to be jumped! 6000 words by next Monday....yikes! I have actually started and I'm looking at Blogs and Elluminate. My activity (part C) will be related to blogs rather than elluminate which was my initial choice. This is because my learners would likely to be overwhelmed by elluminate but more likely to see that blogging can be related to their learning and practice.
I think I've finally got my head around Part B (thanks Alan!!) and none of my recommendations will be high otherwise OU would likely to have already implemented them.
Part D seems fairly straightforward.....until I actually start writing it of course! Initial feeling is there will always be a need for both individual and collaborative learning.
As this is the last ECA I seem to be almost savouring it...there's no panic yet and I actually quite like the content. I am dreading no more study as I know I'm pretty addicted to it...so I've made sure I have lots to do to fill the void. Decorating son's bedroom, whole bunch of new E124 learners starting in October, arranging elluminate sessions for OU AL's in October, got a trip to Ontario at the end of October to look for a house, putting this house on the market, collecting and sending documents off to the Canadian High Commission by November..oh and Xmas shopping!!
Not too sure what happens to this blog though once H800 finishes and do I still tweet as I won't have anything to contribute to elearning? No point in worrying about that now..... best get this ECA written!!!

TMA 04 and ECA

Well the result was way more than I expected! All that moaning and whining I did and I came away with a very respectable mark indeed. I did actually state in Part A that I had struggled to get past the academic language in Thorpes paper in order to fully appreciate what it was about!
So now its the ECA and the final part I need to do to complete the MAODE. I'm going to look at blogs and elluminate....context will be my own learners. I had thought of elluminate for the design part but blogs would fit in better with my learners, more realistic for them. I found a really nice blog on baby care http://www.ababycare.com/ and I'm looking at how I could incorporate course material into a blog. But I haven't fully read whats required for the design part of the ECA so may need to adapt this....not like I haven't had to do that before in an ECA lol!!
Forgot there's a Bank Holiday this Monday so feel I've lost a day already and littlest one isn't back to school for another week so not chance of getting much done...sigh!

TMA 04...groan!

Last week was a really bad week. TMA 04 was due in yesterday and its not like I've never done a TMA before but I really struggled with this one. I think I was a bit loath to start it as this is my last ever TMA...just an ECA to do and I've finished my MAODE!! So I think I was feeling a bit sad it was nearing the end. I've loved doing this Masters and have worked with some great people. Also I don't think joining Twitter helped me. I seemed to spend more time on there checking on how others were doing than I did on writing the damn TMA...its become an addiction! I struggled big time reading Mary Thorpes research paper.....I just couldn't make sense of the academic language no matter how many times I read it and when I was asked to sum up the intro as a requirement of the TMA I could have cried...hand on heart I'm still not 100% sure what the hell the paper was about! For me, as with the other TMA's in H800, there were just too many components. The TMA seemed to jump from one thing to another so just as I settled into writing Part A I had to jump to Part B and start all over again. I haven't experienced this in any of the other courses. In H808 there was a research piece and a reflective piece which enhanced each other so they worked well. So my last TMA has been the worst and not how I expected to round off MAODE. Just have to hope that the ECA is a better experience.

Week 25

My focus this week has been less on course work and more on TMA 04. This was helped greatly by an elluminate session at the beginning of the week which consisted of just a few of us students. It worked really well, very relaxed and thoughts and ideas easily explored. It's nice to hear that others are thinking along the same lines or can clarify areas that are sometimes grey. I've decided that this will be the focus of my ECA.....l had already considered that for my students elluminate could provide them with a better, synchronised forum in which to support each other...almost like a chat room facility. I feel my students would use this and benefit greatly from it. I'd still consider its for tutorials especially for my students who are based in Europe and cannot attend f2f.
So I'm now looking at Kennedy (formal/ informal learning) and Thorpe (not just the tool that needs to be taken into account when researching.....need to account for environment, type of course etc)....well I think that's what they're about!! Then its on to ownership of learning....is there really such a thing....I'm not convinced. We discussed this in the elluminate session and agreed that we were all dubious at this point in time as to whether students could actually gain ownership of their learning. But now I'm rambling......

Week 24

Activity 7
Well this week didn't fair much better. Very slow start so decided to jump in and attend the Tuesday night Elluminate.....well I didn't really have much choice as I wasn't available for this mornings! We discussed Thorpe (2009) ‘It is through practices with technology, rather than the direct effect of the tools themselves, that we create learning contexts.’ exploring what it means and the implications for practitioners. There were only 3 students and the tutor but the session seemed to go pretty well though sometimes I'm not sure what the objective of the session is or what outcome if any has been achieved by the end of it.
So after bouncing to activity 7 I'm now having to work through the rest of week 24. It all seems rushed at the moment because TMA04 and the ECA are looming and I can't seem to grasp the point of the last couple of weeks in relation to the two assessments...fells like I'm meant to be swimming Olympic style but all I can muster is the doggy paddle:( Think I'm lacking the adrenaline buzz..too lethargic!!

TMA 03

Finally decided on use of Blogs and Elluminate for the ECA. The design will be looking at how Elluminate could be used as a substitution for f2f tutorials for my European students.
Going to have to get a wriggle on with the next week of course work as I'm off to Spain for a week and want to have some quality time with the family....so no study allowed!!!!! I haven't taken a break since starting on H808 in September 2007!!
I'm enjoying twitter just for the info updates and the sites they've suggested for blogs and elluminate. Not sure I'll continue with it was I've completed the MAODE though.
Beginning to dread the end of September and ECA submission day....not because I'm unduly worried about the ECA (which of course I am!!) but because the studying will stop and then what the heck do I do with my time?!!

Twitter

Oh blimey...yet another technology to take up my time!!! Well I've tried to avoid it but as part of H800 I have to get myself an account which I have dutifully done. I've decided not to use my phone but just stick to using it on the web.
I was surprised that there were people I could follow who were linked to Elluminate, blogs, elearning etc and that some of them decided to follow me. I'm being quite picky about who I allow to follow me...had to block a couple of very dubious people already!!!! Not sure what, if any, value I'm going to get from this in the long run but for the moment its given me a couple of links to some helpful websites.
With regard TMA03/ECA I seem to have fathomed something out thanks to my tutor...designing an intro to Elluminate for European students...well something along those lines!!

Weeks 17 to 18

Blimey I am sooo far behind and we're now starting week 19!!!
Have just spent the last couple of weeks marking and verifying over 100 ECA's...first time marking so took a while to get into the swing.
Had a quick look through week 18...definitely need to go back and do some reading. But I have looked at Google Reader......hmm......may use it may not.....not sure yet.
There are not enough minutes left in my day to start using Twitter.....its a bit frustrating that you just get a snippet...don't think this ones for me at all. Mind you I do say this about most technologies and then I seem to love them lol!!
In terms of social networking I've used social networking via the University of Manitoba which has worked well but I have to admit that I still tend to visit the blogs and websites and not rely on RSS feeds/Google Reader or Twitter.
In terms of personal use as I'm moving to Ontario I've used two social networking sites for research
http://britishexpats.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=33 and
http://www.mymuchmor.com/home.php .....I'm 'Northernlass1'on both.

Have had a look at TMA 03 and the ECA....have a few ideas which are waiting to be ok'd by my tutor.
Off to check through the course work and make sure I can catch up this week.

Week 16

After the busiest week I managed to submit TMA 02 early, changing one of the activities at the last minute which is pretty normal for me!! Then it was off to Milton Keynes for an ECA markers meeting. Spent the lovely sunny weekend in the car on the M1 and then in the OU building...but the food was good. Also the overnight stay at the Hilton was clean, no kids, tv to myself, peace and quiet...bliss!!
I've had a look at week 16 activities/quiz. As far as changes to TMA 02 are concerned I would have suggested doing part 1 as a collaborative activity within small groups. I'm now looking at TMA03 and the ECA. Have an idea about what I'd like to do but need to run it by my tutor. About to start some work on Elluminate for OU in the North with a view to exploring its uses for tutors who have European learners so may use this.
Have just received 104 ECA's to mark over the next 2 weeks so it will be busy but at least there's no big TMA to write for H800. Have also been asked to do some work for an Early Years project but will have to turn it down as I've too much on.
I've added a new gadget...a countdown to ECA submission. As this is my final course on the MAODE its great to see that I'm really near completion. However I have no idea how I'll cope without anything to study as its been my life for the last 2 years!!!!

Week 6

The last week or two has been hell...gastric flu then laryngitis...I never get ill but this floored me. My boss was great and gave me an extension on my marking...even offered to send it out to another marker but that didn't seem fair on my students plus I like to follow their journey through the course. So today is the first time I've had a chance to see where I am with H800....way behind by the looks of things!!!!!
Now up to week 6 and that means TMA 01. So need to sort out my plan....luckily I'd looked at the TMA a while back and has decided on which activities to focus on. Still have to go through forum discussions...it's although a lengthy TMA.
One good thing this week....I passed H810!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I was convinced the ECA would need resubmitting after the hand in drama but it passed with a fairly respectable mark! I now have a Post Grad Diploma so feel pretty smug!

Goodbye H810...Hello H800!

It's been a roller coaster day. The Internet connection has been sporadic all week. I've really struggled to complete this ECA....complete writer's block! This morning with a deadline of 12 midday the connection crashed again at 11.30am. I know I should have submitted before then but I just couldn't. Drove to McDonald's but couldn't connect to their wifi. Drove to the hotel nearby and ran in with my USB and begged the lady to let me use a computer....she said no as they were all in use! Finally found a hot-spot in a nearby car park. I submitted the ECA at 11.51am and the connection crashed at 11.53am....talk about a window of opportunity!!!! Arrived home to find the Internet up and running.....I swear it does this to me on purpose...it's watching me!! Also was awarded the Post Grad Certificate in Online and Distance Education which helped ease the stress of the day!! I know H810's ECA will need resubmitting but I'm now ok with that...as OU say it's better to submit 'something than nothing at all' and bless it but you could only really describe my ECA as 'something'!!!

I'm now knackered...I've been studying on MAODE since September 2007 without a break. So I'm pleased to say I have 2 weeks off before the next and final course starts. Its H800 and Rick is also studying on it which is good to know! Also going to use the next 2 weeks to change the darn Internet provider.....bye bye Orange you won't be missed!!

H810 to H800

Still writing the ECA...finding that the three issues are overlapping but half expected that. They also seem to flow from one to the other which I'd hoped they would as this should enable accessibility being developed more sucessfully.

Have changed the title of this blog as I'm starting my final MAODE course...H800... in a couple of weeks time.

Back to finishing the ECA...

Changed again!

I've changed my issues slightly whilst writing the ECA!! Now focussing on

• Division of labour
• Opportunities and incentives
• Constellations of practice...communities

In my context these are the most likely accessibility issues that will need to be addressed as the course becomes more online.

Further thoughts on ECA

Using the 6 issues I identified in the previous post the ECA requires that I select 3 that are relevant to my context. So as my courses are heading towards becoming online and there are few disabled learners I've chosen to focus on...

• Division of labour - Roles and responsibilities
• Brokers
• Boundary practices and constellations

I feel if these three are addressed and acted upon in the early stages of a course becoming online then this could result in better accessibility for learners with disability.

First thoughts on ECA

My issues are open to change. I have related them to each chapter though have felt that within each of the 3 chapters there is a common thread and that is that it's 'everyone else's responsibility and therefore not mine'. I'm happy for anyone to add in comments to my section!!

Chapter 11
1. Interpretation of legislation and guidelines - this would include enforcement of the legislation. As there is little documented evidence of enforcement it's more than likely that most organisations settle out of court when threatened with litigation.
2. Opportunities and incentives - what is the motive behind ensuring accessibility e.g for educational organisations is it more to do with the available funding and therefore 'bums on seats'.

Chapter 12
1. Division of labour - roles and responsibilities.
2. Tools - adding or creating yet another tool before practitioners have had the chance to learn to use existing ones.

Chapter 13
1. Brokers
2. Boundary practices and constellations
These two can create shared good practice which could in turn create a framework of good practice