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Blogging for learning professionals

Today Ajay and me completed a workshop on New Media for students at SCIT. I absolutely love talking about the potential of New Media, specifically blogging, and podcasting. Now it's not that blogging and podcasting are going to change the world, but the underlying concept of participatory media WILL. Blogging is a mechanism to achieve the vision of participation. Maybe over time it will evolve, maybe it will be replaced with something else, but the vision of grassroots participation is so powerful, that it cannot and should not be ignored.


Here are the slides from the presentation, followed by links to some blogs and websites we spoke about. 

 



UPDATE: If you live in Pune or can travel there, be sure to come to BlogCampPune. It is going to be the first BlogCamp in Pune, and I'm sure it will be a great event. Many thanks to Tarun for taking the initiative to organize it.







Links:

  • Stephen Downes' website on learning... this is a must read for those who believe that the current teaching scenario needs a lot of improvement, and would like to strive for a system of learning which will enable each person to rise to his or her fullest potential.
  • Joel Spolsky's blog. He writes about many issues related to computing, software development, and sometimes whatever he feels like. His blogs are almost always very insightful and well written.
  • Steve Pavlina writes an excellent blog on personal development for smart people.
  • Guy Kawasaki would like to change the world 25,000 people at a time through his blog. He writes about many things, and always in a very engaging and insightful manner.
  • Jon Udel was one of the very early bloggers.
  • Kathy Sierra writes an awesome blog on improving the user experience of your product. It inspires it's readers to excel.
  • The Long Tail is a blog that evolved into a book (or maybe a book that started of as a blog).
  • Jonathan Schwartz, Sun's CEO also blogs.
  • Some blog feed readers: Google reader, and Bloglines.
  • Ranjan Jha, my student from 2 years back at SCIT. I enjoy reading his blog a lot.
  • Blog feeds: RSS, and Atom.
  • All about Blog linkbacks.
  • Free blogging services: Wordpress, and Blogger.
  • ITVidya.com, a portal for the IT knowledge, networking, and opportunities.
  • Some paid blogging services: Typepad, Radio Userland, and Square Space.
  • Free blogging software: Movable Type, WordPress, and Roller Weblogger.
  • Search blog content on Google blog search and technorati.
  • Some blogging best practices and ethics from Rebacca Blood.
  • A blog/podcast on educational technology and new media in learning.
  • A teacher's blog. Very well written, and insightful. He often writes on his experiences of using blogging in the classroom.
  • If you are already suffering from information overloaded, you might want to go here.


Notes: This text was originally posted on my earlier blog at http://www.adaptivelearningonline.net
Here are the comments from the original post

-----
COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Tarun Chandel
URL: www.tarunchandel.blogspot.com
DATE: 01/27/2007 02:26:19 PM
Hi Parag Sir

A very good presentation, it's really important to realize that something very interesting is changing the people learn and share. It's great that SCIT had such a good workshop, I remember that you were the one who introduced me and Ranjan to blogs and to podcasts. For me these two has been major source of learning in past one year.

It was really good move from you to bring Ajay from IT Vidya to SCIT, as it always inspiring to listen from the people who have actually done something good in the particular field. I am sure that we will see a lot more SCITians in the blogosphere.

Ajay is a very good speaker, I met him at BarcampPune2, I liked the way he presented in a simple manner a very important thought, "How blogging can be helpful?" That got me thinking and I was planning to conduct a <a href="http://barcamp.org/BlogCampPune">BlogCamp</a> in Pune. If the idea interests you do get back to me so that we can take this idea further. I will also be discussing this idea with Ajay and let's see how he responds.

COMMENT:
AUTHOR: Parag
DATE: 01/29/2007 07:10:27 AM
Hey Tarun,

I am glad I was able to inspire you and Ranjan to start blogging. I too have benefited in many ways since I started blogging.

I will be glad to help out in organizing BlogCampPune.

--
Regards
Parag
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