Sunday, June 18, 2006

new blog

Self reference, catch up entry.

My old blog died. Gory details here, for those interested in blog death. I don't know anyway to direct visitors from my old blog to this one, since any new entry I post to my old blog is hidden.

There was another important entry that is hidden. It is a summary of the instructional software design project. Full article is on my website, which has also moved. I've changed my ISP from TPG to internode, since internode offers 50MB free web space and is better value for money anyway.

I haven't blogged for a month but am resuming mainly because I find it helps me develop a sense of myself and where I am headed. Identity. We all crave recognition of course, lots of visits and comments. But I think identity, defining self, is more important. Writing down and reflecting does alter who you are.

Some would argue that it is through the process of discussing and interaction in the blogosphere that development occurs. Maybe but I'm not convinced. There is not enough time and too much superficial crap. This sounds arrogant but I find it a problem. How can anyone find time to think deeply if they are reading hundreds of blogs, trawling through the dross to find an occasional gold nugget?

I have been writing in a pen and paper journal. I've always done that. The advantage there is that I can be more frank and personal about what I write. That is OK but not machine searchable, it is hard to find past entries. It is easier to connect the dots (integrate ideas) through blogging.

But then wikis might be even better for integrating ideas. I have been writing in these wikis recently:

africagame, where we are creating computer games about africa.
http://africagame.wikispaces.com/

gamelearning, set up by Tony Forster, in preparation for a submission he made to the Victorian Parliament about curriculum reform - I was more interested in discussing the ideas than the actual submission
http://gamelearning.wikispaces.com/

Paul Chandler's wiki about probing into naive conceptualisations of the computer, with a view to improving computer instruction
http://pdchandler.wikispaces.com/

gamedesign11 where I have been keeping track of the computer games that my Year 11 class have been developing
http://gamedesign11.wikispaces.com/

So, my recommendation is blog for yourself, wiki for others. Cute.

1 comment:

Graham Wegner said...

Have you contemplated a shift to edublogs?