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nafsiafrikasaana May 4, 2010

Hi Ken

Thanks for replying - and for forwarding the invitation to others.

I am wondering what other opportunies there might be for an exchange of knowledge between you and the London Knowledge Lab people.  

  • Any chance you will make it over to London while you are in Denmark?
  • Or maybe Yishay and Niall will be over your way. 
Ref your suggestions of an online link-up:
"I would be glad to participate virtually if there would be a video bridge provision.
I hope we would be able to set days for chatting more on this related topic in the M.S.L Forum."
Let's explore options around that.
  • We could simply put it on the agenda for an ordinary "First Thursday" meeting (the meetings are getting more structured now) - I am experimenting with a structure where we focus on one or two agreed topics during the main session, and keep informal meeting-and-greeting and networking for before or after the main session. But of course we do still need to be ready to welcome people who just arrive "when ever they can" - and I'm working on that.
  • We are also having "Topic Thursdays" - like first Thursdays but only for people who really want to focus on that topic
  • We could of course have the discussions at some other time/place - but the chat room is handy and familiar to people, and the Thursday time suits most of the time zones where we are most active - so it's a good starting point if we want to give other people the chance to be included.
  • I can set up a mailing list too of course if we want that - or there are various webinar things around, or skype video etc but I think just having a simple typed meeting online in real time is a good starting point - helpful for introducing people to each other and exploring overlapping interests - and then see if anyone wants to take it further or not.
Yishay - are you interested in an online meeting? If so is typed chat okay for starters?
Ken and Yishay - are "First Thursday" times  any good for you? (12.00 GMT, 13.00 British Summer Time - I'm not sure about Denmark's time)?

Let's try to get chatting together (plus others it they wish). Bringing academics and practitioners together is one of my obsessions. (I hate to see all that academic time and brain power being applied to questions that have no relevance to "us and people in our networks" who are involved in bottom-up and peer-to-peer approaches to sharing knowledge)

NB - If I have time I may come back to the posterous version of this post and put some links in about academic-practitioner collaboration,  systemic educational change etc. - but no time to do it today)

Let's rub minds on this Ken - and let's try to do a mini-catch-up on skype (typed or voice) before too long. I say "mini catch-up" because I know it would takes us days and days of solid talking to get anywhere near a proper catch-up ;-)

Yishay - let me know what you think

NB - If you send your reply to one of the lists (as Ken did) then I'll know its okay to share it. If you send it to me off list then obviously I won't publish it.

Pamela

 

On 4 May 2010 20:52, Kennedy Owino <nafsiafricaacro@yahoo.com> wrote:
 

Dear Pam,

This sounds really great,
Pam, thanks for availing such opportunities.

Mobile phones are increasingly playing a key role in learning and development.
I have seen how m-learning and e-learning are significantly employed here.
I would really want to attend this workshop.
An mlearning project has just been introduced to foreingner students in the language school i am attending here in Denmark.
The focuss is on user-generated content and open knowledge exchange educational resources.
Using the IPhones we research, store,create, share, discuss and edit information, we also receive and deliver assingments via the phone.
The project has so far resulted to impressive, improved and positive results.
The potential of mlearning is perhaps greatest in Africa, where the mobile phone rather than the desktop computer is the dominant technology.
This was proved by our past endeavours as Pyramid of Peace .

It is quite unfortunately, that i will miss this, however i hope those who will participate will learn more approaches to addressing social challenges using mphones. 
I have further c.c'd James (see email above), Nafsi members and more who may probably have the interest to benefit from this.
I would be glad to participate virtually if there would be a video bridge provision.
I hope we would be able to set days for chatting more on this related topic in the M.S.L Forum.

Thank you Yishay for sacrificing time to stop by in Nairobi and freely offer this workshop that would help support Kenyan mobile learners in their own socio-cultural contexts.


Peace,


Ken Owino

Nafsi Africa Acrobats

www.nafsiafrica.org

P.S; Please also note Yishay's request for advice on cheap, decent accommodation in Nairobi. Any suggestions?


From: Yishay Mor <yishaym@gmail.com>
To: Pamela McLean <pamela.mclean@dadamac.net>
Cc: learningfromeachother <learningfromeachother@yahoogroups.com>; Kennedy Owino <nafsiafricaacro@yahoo.com>; Samwel Kongere <jambita1@yahoo.com>; Rachel Kungu <rachel.kungu@gmail.com>; Evelyn munguti <evelynmunguti@yahoo.co.uk>; Dan Otedo <dotedo@yahoo.com>; David Mutua <davenzainga@gmail.com>; Fred Kayiwa <fdkayiwa@yahoo.com>
Sent: Tue, May 4, 2010 1:11:58 AM
Subject: Re: ml4d workshop in Nairobi: May 24th


Thanks Pam!

I think the original went missing, so here it is again:

iHub Nairobi - May 24, 2010

Participatory Design Workshop in Mobile Learning for Development


This workshop is designed for application developers, educators, social activists and researchers interested in the design and use of mobile activities to support learning in developing regions. The workshop has been designed for those at the beginner and intermediate levels working in a range of learning contexts.

The workshop will provide:

• An introduction to critical issues in mobile learning 
• Discussion of common problems participants believe the use of mobile devices will help address  
• Techniques for developing scenarios on the use of mobile devices for learning 
• Production a set of mobile resources, captured online for use by participants in their everyday practice 

The workshop will be facilitated by Niall Winters and Yishay Mor from the London Knowledge Lab, Institute of Education, University of London.

On 3 May 2010 23:55, Pamela McLean <pamela.mclean@dadamac.net> wrote:
Hi Everyone

If anyone is going to be in Nairobi on May 24th then please consider joining  Niall Winters and Yishay Mor from the London Knowledge Lab, Institute of Education, University of London for their free "Participatory Design Workshop in Mobile Learning for Development". If you think of anyone else who should know about it please pass on the details. (Ken - would James or any of the other acrobats be interested and available do you think? I don't have his email.) I have not sent this to Tom because of his recent bereavement, but perhaps someone may like to mention it to him at a more appropriate time.

I will copy background information about it below in reverse date order

  • Yishay's warm invitation to you
  • Some questions I asked
  • Original email from Yishay
Please also note his request for advice on cheap, decent accommodation in Nairobi. Any suggestions?

Pam

Yishay's warm invitation:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


H Pam -

Thanks for your questions, and the opportunity to clarify:
1. the workshop is free!
2. it is very light on theory and heavy on practice.
3. it evolves around participants' experiences and is driven by their agendas.
(pretty much like the workshop you attended, but with even stronger focus on practice)

So the answer is YES - please forward to your contacts. We would very much like to see them with us. Personaly, I would like to hear about their experience and how it can inform http://burundi.friendsobserve.org/

We're taking advantage of a stop-over on our way to Zambia, and the iHub's generousity, which is how we can run this for free. (btw, any advice on cheap, decent accomodation in Nirobi?). Unfortunatly, that means we'll only be there for the day. The only chance we have of meeting people outside of the workshop is the evening after it ends.

cheers,

- Yishay
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Some questions I asked
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hi Yishay

I'm responding to the words - "Participatory, Mobile Learning, Development, social activists, Nairobi, and May 2010"

I'm responding because I think of you as "one of the good guys" when it comes to wanting research to be relevant, and being interested in bridging the gap between academia and practice.

I connect with a lot of social activists in Kenya, many of whom are interested in learning and new opportunities for learning (for themselves and/or their communities) - and they are great mobile phone users. You may be aware of how they used phones to work together during the post election violence in Kenya:


I believe you could learn a lot about on-the-ground realities from people in this network, and that their knowledge and insights would be helpful to you. I wonder if you will be around long enough to meet any of them. If so I will put the word out and see if anyone will be around in Nairobi during your visit. 

I am undecided about sharing news of your workshop with any of my Kenyan contacts at this stage. I imagine your workshop is too expensive for most of the people I know to attend, and anyhow I imagine it is probably too theoretical, research orientated, and embedded in the formal educational system to be relevant to their needs and interests. (Obviously I could be wrong on this - I'm just guessing its range and focus.)

However I do feel there could well be overlapping interests and that your trip could provide the opportunity for some useful exploratory conversations (which could have practical benefit in the long term) if it is not too late to arrange them. Or - on a lighter note - you might just enjoy meeting some of my friends if they are around to add to your  picture of life in Kenya.


Pamela
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Original email from Yishay
~~~~~~~~~~~~~



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