Dadamac UK activities - July 3rd -July 23rd July 25, 2010
This is to update you on some of the things I've been doing over the past few weeks, and give the links. I'll start at Friday and work back, I may need to write another post later - it's been a busy couple of weeks.
Tuttle
Went to Tuttle club Friday 23rd July First time I've been since they changed venue. I used to go more when they were down the Mall. Andy suggested I should go again. There was presentation/booklaunch afterwards The New Polymath - Profiles in Compound Technology Innovations by Vinnie Mirchandani The New Polymath: Interview with author Vinnie Mirchandani
Confluence Wiki
The Conrads and The Confluence Wiki
Leon Conrad - and his family - have been helping me cross my personal barrier about "I can't face joining another online group - especially one with an unfamiliar interface" (in this instance the Conflence Wiki). Thanks to Leon I have had direction and encouragement with support via phone, skype, and then face-to-face at his home - combined with superb family hospitality. Wonderful.
I met Leon (to talk to) last Monday at David Pinto's Summer of Opportunity meet-up. I'm not sure if this grew out of his "soon to be leaving London" event two weeks earlier (which I also attended) or if it has a longer history. Anyhow, David has gathered an interesting group around him, and I am intrigued by what he is planning and its mix of Face to Face and online.
F2F and Social Groupings
NB - The relationship between online and F2F and the emergence of new social groupings is the part of my life that I am currently observing, exploring and analysing. I'm often told I have an this irritating habit of "thinking too much" and analysing stuff instead of just getting on with it. Anyhow, at present I am intrigued by the F2F groups that are emerging, which could not have existed without the Internet. As a short hand it might be called the Meet-ups thing - but its much wider than that - just like social media is much wider than MySpace of FaceBook. I guess if I was an academic my first higher degree would have been on "The impact of the internet on the roles of teachers and learners and the emergence of new non-formal approaches to eduction" or some-such (all the stuff I was exploring through my work in Minciu Sodas, and in Nigeria and Kenya with Teachers Talking). Then I would have done something about "Implications of web 2.0 for organisational change" or "Disruptive technologies - the Internet and 20th century organisational systems". And now I would be looking at "The Internet and the emergence of new social groupings". Much of what I am doing on a day to day basis is influencing my thinking on these issues.
David wants us to contribute to a shared book - maybe I will take that invitation as an opportunity/catalyst to discuss the above and write something related to it. Of course the concept of "book" is also changing as we started to explore with David (who incidentally was leading the group with the help of his iPad, and likes to structure his books to be read more like websites than in traditional linear form) - but back to the events side of the last couple of weeks rather than the development of concepts during that time.
DIFN
Last weekend, on Saturday 17th Yomi Oloko and Murani Oloto came over, so I had a great catch up about DIFN Development Impact For Nigeria. Yomi, the founder and director of DFN, was about to go back to Nigeria and Murani Oloto was about to join him as a volunteer for a few weeks. I had been chatting to both of them separately about their plans and was very interested to find they had linked up with each other, so the three of us got together. Murani would like to visit Fantsuam while he is in Nigeria. Yomi plans to email you to fix something.
Ken Owino
The day before, Friday 16th, Ken Owino was in London. He was on his way to do some work with an acrobatic team in the UK, but had a free day before joining them. It was his first trip to London so we had a great time catching up and visiting the sights.
ODI
Thursday 15th I was at the ODI (Overseas Development Institute) for What technology for African agriculture?
Online meetings
Some interesting stuff regarding online meetings is happening with the Meet-up group that used to be called 21st century network - now Global Net 21. They used to only do F2F meetings but now they are experimenting with webinars. They are growing a core team interested in developing their use of webinars and I have recently joined that. I will join some other volunteers soon for our practical training on leading webinar meetings in their style using their preferred software.
Africa Gathering
As you know both Gbenga Sesan and I were amongst those giving presentations. I plan to get mine up on dadamac.net soon but I will need to add some words first as the presentation was mostly photos that I explained.
There is more I should tell you - but these are the main events of the last couple of weeks
Pamela