What’s the point?
I seem to be getting the hand of this blogging, adding blogs to my bloglines which keeps me up-to-date with what’s going on in the hospitality and hotel industry, but what I really have being trying to find out is how it is going to effect my teaching and whether students will learn differently because their lecturer has a blog or they can access material from their computer in an alternative form. I have just read this article by Anne Bartlett-Brag which has given me some food for thought, especially for our Year 3 degree students who go out on a semeters placement. As part of their assessment, they have to write a reflective report at the end, some may like to keep a blog rather than a ‘written’ journal which they can then use to complete their reflection.
Radisson, Fiji
Radisson Fiji, opened in 2007, this new resort is ideal for families as well as FIT travellers. As well as an adult only pool, there is a large swimming pool with swim-up bar, under 6 year old pool as well as a pool with water slide. Great fun for everyone.
Testing out links
Today we are learning about how to set up links using different manual and html codes for text links and even bolds. My test is going to set up a link to Kevin’s blog, as he has some wonderful travel stories.
Nadi Market, Fiji
As we stepped off the air conditioned environment of the plane, you could feel the warmth of the night air around you. Sounds of Fijian music and smiling faces welcomed you. This was a second visit to Nadi, Fiji, a place to recharge the batteries.
The local market in Nadi has both a fruit and vegetable market which is noisy, vibrant, bustling with very fresh fruit and vegetables. I was unsure of the tiny; strange looking bananas until I took my first bite, the overpowering banana flavour in one small bite was amazing. 
Men and women would carve the freshest pineapples into lollipops for you, so fresh and juicy. 
Bright red chillies, bok choy and watermelon galore. In stark contrast the other side of the market housed the kava sellers, a more anesthetised ambience. There was also a separate area for the fish market where you could haggle over the price of the latest catch. We enjoyed a very fresh snapper and made the local dish of Kokoda, the Fijian version of ceviche. The raw fish is “cooked” by marinating in lime juice and then coconut cream; chopped cucumber, tomato and onion are added.
2008 – what will it bring?
Refreshed, relaxed, energetic, revived – they are always such good words for the beginning of a new year. Such as shame that often they go too quickly from our mind when we start back into our routines.
I am certainly feeling all of those at the moment, especially after travels over the Christmas/Summer break, and I look forward to what this year may bring.
New students, returning students, challenges and some new teaching.
Christmas Greetings
As Christmas is approaching, I thought I would have a change and add a touch of Christmas cheer to my ‘blog’, especially in anticipation of today’s workshop. HoHoHoHoHo!!
Homework 2
The second part of the homework was to do the same with bloglines.
Again, amazing how you can go onto youtube and find very comprehensive tutorials/videos of how to do something.
The first one I watched was a tutorial on how to organise and track your favourite blogs. Similarly to the wordpress tutorials, you can learn so much from just sitting at your workstation and work at your own pace. This tutorial was 10 minutes long, tracked exactly what you do to set up a blogline, organise your folders and demonstrated the use of being able to keep in contact with other people’s blogs. I think that most people who have not used bloglines would find this tutorial to be very helpful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRed_OAiugI
Want to register with bloglines in under 2 minutes then watch this tutorial, very simple to listen, watch and understand!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdqrchOwMHA - you are then registered with bloglines
And lastly one that Leigh set up about how to keep track to of blogs and whether people like us are doing our homework and keeping up to date with our homework!! A 5 minute tutorial.
Homework
Ok, so I had a bit of fun yesterday looking through YouTube and all of Leighs stuff and although it was not actually what we were supposed to be doing, I am sure that is one of the problems of being let loose on the internet.
I have searched for wordpress on Youtube and one of the first I came across was Chris Abraham’s WordPress tutorial that was a step to step How to blog. Although 45 minutes (which I will admit to not watching it all, but with the use of FF, you can look at stuff that you are not too sure on) – certainly very comprehensive and easy to look at and listen to. As a self help tutorial, it is great and I suppose if you are getting into this ‘flexible’ learning, far better than sitting in a classroom, as you can go at your own pace. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWYi4_COZMU This will certainly give you all the basics for getting started, so anyone that wants to start or even refresh should look at this.
The second one I watched discussed the use of optimising your wordpress content. I think the main reason for liking this one as I like to be ordered, whether a physical filing cabinet or my work on my computer, so this guys ideas of sorting out, filing and not duplicating content was interesting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BiCn6y6JU8o
The final one I looked at was how to customise your front page of your blog so that it can be individualised and personal to you – amazing to see the number of tutorial type learning facilities available. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAi3ZM1h4SY. Again, although this one was not actually about getting started on wordpress, I wanted to see what else you can do on wordpress, I suppose to see why people are using it, the benefits of blogging, as I am still not hooked in 100%. I also like to have a good understanding of what something like this can do and be used for, hence going maybe beyond the scope of the homework.
Leigh Blackall on Flexible Learning
This is my first try of adding a video to my blog as part of my homework and learning about blogging – lets hope it all works!
from www.youtube.com posted with vodpod
A very sunny day in Dunedin
A shame to be sitting inside on such a glorious day, but I am trying to come to grips with blogging and my homework. One of the things that we were asked to do was to find some more information about and have a better understanding of ‘blogging’, ‘wordpress’ and ‘bloglines’. My first stop has been at You Tube where I have found out that Leigh must be an avid user and also into a range of differing hobbies from ‘mountaineering’, to “dry stone walls” & “the mechanics and safety of chain saws” – I am sure all of these are educational !
I have watched the Online Learning Communities Orientation, although 8 minutes long, has acutally given me a much clearer idea of the use of this type of on line learning (not saying that I am converted yet), but it was well structured – here is the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gbiV-ZBLLXA. A very quick overview of Leigh’s role at OP was also quite interesting for a new comer to all this.
I can see that you COULD if you have the time spend a VERY long time searching, reading and listening – very hard on a lovely Dunedin day.
