Anarchy and Chaos? No, actually …

We’ve been trying to get a wireless network across the campus so that we can trial the use of wireless devices (laptops / netbooks / smartphones … ) in the classroom. The main intention was to be able to deliver content, use web 2.0 tools and create more engagement through the use of a range of different strategies and resources. Getting a wireless network is one thing. I’ve stopped pleading, whining and badgering; some people are still resident in the 19th Century and are incredibly difficult to shift.
Overcoming the resistance of teaching colleagues is something else. “So you want students to be able to access the web while you’re trying to teach? Well they’ll all be on Facebook or email”.
Now the strange thing is that you get more email from the managers during their meetings yet the job gets done. And yes, they have a dedicated wifi for managing, but we can’t have one for teaching.
The risk of students having the ability to go somewhere else whilst I’m trying to deliver a session on learning outcomes or funding is an important consideration, but I’m not sure whether it’s a threat or a wake-up call. From my own viewpoint, I have the attention span of a small gnat. I rarely last more than ten minutes before I’m sliding the iPhone out and checking emails or scanning the Twitter feed ( not when I’m teaching of course).
The concept of multitasking during a class / lesson is something I hadn’t really understood until I joined one of Alec Couros’ sessions for his module ECI831
It hadn’t been a good day at work; I didn’t get home until after 8:00pm and due to the time difference, the Elluminate session was running at 2:00am. The laptop had been setup to run Eluminate, the alarm was set and I went to bed and slept to the start of the session. Thinking that everything was set to go, it inevitably didn’t and I spent twenty minutes getting the laptop to connect and run the javascript applets. I was drooping as Alec worked through a range of ideas and approaches for the use of technology. An idea was introduced, I’d go off and play or explore the bit of software, and listen to Alec’s commentary as I did so. Then back to the Elluminate screen to watch a screen capture, or add something to the back channel. Then a look at what was coming from ECI831 particpants on Twitter, back to Elluminate, and so on. This went on until 4:00am and I realised that I was (a) very awake, and (b) not in the slightest bit bored. The problem was that I was hoping for a sleep before I got up for work at 6:30am.
It was an excellent example of how to multitask in connected activities and how the use of listening, watching and moving around resources can be engaging and valuable.
So back to the original idea; where’s my wireless network then? I want to try this multitasking learning stuff …

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